,/ 


«N^ 


^  r 


^^X.'. 

\rA-y. 

■•-H 


y\.CCE^^IO]s!V 


AYOBim'  PUBLIC  LIBRARY* 


FOUNDED  1856. 


'_y//^^//^^^^ 


\ 


^^^l/H/^ 


ru-»,  ..^  '-„,,,„„.„.,  /:.,^,.y/,,.  //,...,  ■/././:,.,  y^\,..,,//.  /.',.,/.■, 


Iliin*iiii.  KimnuiiiU  A:  IVinliiitt. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/americanexploratOOnouriala 


American  Explorations 


IN 


The  Ice  Zones.  ^ 


THE  EXPEDITIONS  OP  DeHAVEN,  KANE,  RODGERS,  HAYES,  HALL,  SCHWATKA, 

AND  DeLONG  ;  THE  RELIEF  VOYAGES  FOR  THE  JEANNE'lTE  BY  THE 

U.  S.  STEAMERS  CORWIN,  RODGERS,  AND  ALLIANCE ;    THE 

CRUISES  OF  CAPTAINS  LONG  AND  RAYNOR 

OF   THE   MERCHANT   SERVICE: 


WITH  A  BRIEF  NOTICE  OF 


THE  ANTARCTIC  CRUISE  UNDER  LIEUTENANT  WILKES,  1840, 

AND  OF  THE  LOCATIONS  AND  OBJECTS  OF  THE  U.S. 

SIGNAL  SERVICE  ARCTIC  OBSERVERS. 


PreparelJ  (JTfjieflg  from  ©ffictal  S'ources 


BY  PROF.  J.  E.  :n^ourse,  u.s.:n^. 

EDITOR    OF     "HALL'S    SECOND    EXPEDITION." 


bosto:n^  : 

D.   LOTHROP   AE^D    OOMPAl^T, 

Fraxklin  Street. 
LONDON  :    TRUBNER  &  CO.,  LUDGATE  HIIX. 


CopyrUjlit, 

By  D.  Lothrop  and  Comfakt. 

1884. 


C.  J.  PETEKS  AND  SOX, 
BLECTKOTTPEnS  AND   8TEREOTYPER8, 

US  HiQii  Stbibt. 


TO 

THE   AMERICAN    EXPLORERS, 

NAVAL,  MILITARY,  AND  CIVIL, 

AND 

TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  THE  GALLANT  SPIRITS 

WHO  OPENED  UP  THEIR 

PATHWAY. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


PAGE 


The  Arctic  regions,  sea  and  land  —  Comparison  of  the  ice  zones  of  the  North  and 
the  South — The  problem  of  the  Pole  and  the  Northwest  Passage — Chief  attempts  for 
its  solution  —  Participation  in  these  attempts  by  the  American  Colonies — American 
voyages  resulting  from  the  Franklin  Expedition,  and  their  renewal  in  1850     ...        17 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Grinnell  Expeditions  —  Reviving  Arctic  exploration  —  President  Taylor's 
message  to  Congress  transmitting  correspondence  with  Lady  Franklin  —  Resolution 
authorizing  the  expedition  approved,  May  5, 1850 — Mr.Grinnell's  memorial  supported 
by  Clay,  Seward,  and  Pearce,  in  the  Senate  —  Officers  of  the  First  Expedition  —  In- 
structions of  Secretary  Preston  to  DeHaven,  who  sails  from  New  York,  May  22, 1850 

—  Dispatches  from  St.  Johns  and  the  Whale-Ship  Islands  —  DeHaven's  report  of 
the  graves  found  at  Beechey  Island  —  He  arrives  at  Griffith  Island  —  Drifts  north- 
ward—  Geographical  discoveries  —  Eastward  into  Baffin's  Bay — Freed  from  the 
ice,  June  10,  1851  —  Again  released,  Aug.  18  —  Sails  from  Holsteinborg,  Sept.  6  — 
Arrives  at  New  York,  Sept.  30 41 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  SECOND  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION,  1853-65. 
The  expedition  designed  by  Kane  —  Contributors  —  Paper  read  before  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  New  York— Assistance  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy— Officers  of 
the  "Advance  "— Fiskernaes  —  Crossing  Melville  Bay— The  "Advance"  moored  to 
an  iceberg  —  Rensselaer  Harbor  —  Provision  depots  for  spring  explorations  —  The 
observatory  —  Daily  ship  life  —  Morton's  reported  Polar  Sea  —  The  brig  fixed  in 
the  ice  —  Attempt  to  reach  Beechey  Island  —  Nine  of  the  company  leave  for  the 
South;  their  return  —  Scurvy  —  The  brig  abandoned  —  Boat  and  sledge  journey 
southward  —  Rescue  of  Kane  by  Captain  Hartstene  at  Disco  —  Arrival  at  New  York 

—  Reports  to  the  Department  — Summary  of  results  —  Appreciation  by  the  British 
Government  — Publications  of  the  narrative  —  Kane's  failing  health— Request  of 
Lady  Franklin  to  him  to  undertake  a  new  expedition  —  He  sails  for  England  — 
Return  voyage  —  Death  —  Funeral  honors  at  Havana,  New  Orleans,  Cincinnati, 
•Colmnbus,  Baltimore,  and  Philadelphia  — Kane's  religious  confidence 66 


8  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
EXPLORATIONS  OF  LIEUTENANT  JOHN  RODGERS,  U.  S.  N. 

The  Exploration  of  the  "Vincennes  "  a  part  of  the  United  States  Expedition  under 
Commander  Ringgold  — Appropriation  by  Congress  — Objects  —  Secretary  Kennedy's 
instructions  —  Sickness  of  Commander  Ringgold  —  Lieutenant  Rodgers  succeeds  to 
the  command  —  Loss  of  the  "Porpoise" — The  "Vincennes"  leaves  Hong  Kong 
for  her  Arctic  cruise  —  Arrives  at  Petropaulovski  —  Condition  of  the  town  —  Enters 
Bering  Straits  —  Leaves  a  party  under  Lieutenant  Brooke  at  Glassenapp  —  Habits 
and  customs  of  the  natives  —  The  "Vincennes"  in  the  Arctic  Sea  —  Anchors  in 
latitude  72°  5'  North — Sails  over  the  tail  of  Herald  Shoal  and  locates  Herald  Island 

—  Can  see  no  trace  of  Plover  Island  —  Approaches  Wrangell  Land  —  Returns  to  St. 
Lawrence  Bay  and  Glassenapp  for  Lieutenant  Brooke's  party — Arrives  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, Oct.  13,  1855  —  Suggestions  for  the  publication  of  the  full  narrative  ....      108 

CHAPTER  V.  • 

EXPLORATIONS  OF  DR.  ISAAC  I.  HAYES,   1860-61. 

Design  of  Dr.  Hayes  for  a  new  exploration  suggested  while  on  his  first  voyage  with 
Kane —  His  plans  supported  by  the  Smithsonian  and  other  institutions  —  Sails  from 
Boston  with  Sonntag,  July  7, 1860  —  Arrives  off  Proven  on  the  twenty-fourth  day 
out  —  Adds  to  his  ship's  company  and  supplies  at  Upemavik  —  Crosses  Melville  Bay 
in  fifty-five  hours  to  Cape  York  —  Winters  at  Port  Foulke  —  Observatory  set  up  — 
Observations  made  — Experiences  of  the  season  —  Death  of  Sonntag,  Hans'  account 
of  it  —  The  Arctic  night  described — Attempts  to  launch  the  boat  on  the  Polar  Sea 

—  Highest  point  reached  —  Belief  in  the  existence  of  the  open  sea  confirmed  —  Ex- 
periences of  recent  navigators  compared  with  this  —  Explorations  and  surveys  made 
on  the  return  voyage  to  the  United  States  —  Purpose  of  a  new  expedition — Recep- 
tion of  the  gold  medals  from  abroad —  Volumes  published 132 

CHAPTER  VI. 

» 

THE  GRINNELL  AND  HAVEN  EXPEDITION  OF  C.  F.  HALL  — THE 
FIRST  OF  HIS  THREE  VOYAGES,  1860-^2. 

Hall's  motives  for  his  first  voyage  —  Arctic  Study  —  Limited  resources  —  Reasons 
for  believing  that  some  of  Franklin's  men  still  lived  —  Circular  endorsed  by  leading 
men  of  Ohio  —  Generous  aid  by  Mr.  Grinnell  and  by  Williams  and  Haven  — Sails 
from  New  London  —  Buries  his  native  companion,  Kud-la-go  —  Visits  Holsteinborg 

—  The  kayaks  — The  belted  and  the  gothic  icebergs —Arrives  at  Cornelius  Grinnell 
Bay  — First  impressions  of  the  natives  —  Destruction  of  the  "Rescue"  and  the 
expedition  boat  —  First  acquaintance  with  Ebierbing  and  Too-koo-li-too  —  Inland 
excursion  —  Explorations  in  the  spring  following  —  Discovery  that  Frobisher 
"Strait"  is  a  bay  — Finding  of  the  Frobisher  relics  confirmed  by  Barrow's  history 

—  Explorations  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1862  —  Notes  of  Eskimo  dress,  habits, 
and  superstitions  —  Return  to  the  United  States  with  the  two  natives  and  their 
child 161 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HALL'S  SECOND  ARCTIC  EXPEDITION  — RESIDENCE  AMONG  THE 
ESKIMOS,  1864-69. 

Preparatory  labors  —  Paper  before  the  American  Geographical  Society  —  Fro- 
bisher  relics  sent  to  London  and  to  the  Smithsonian  —  Lectures  —  Plans  for  the  new 
voyage  —  Sailing  of  the  "Monticello" — Landing  at  Whale  Point  —  First  inter- 
course with  the  natives  —  Feasting  —  Ankooting  —  The  Key-low-tik  —  Walrus  hunt 

—  New  Year's  Day — Sealing — Hall's  first  prize — Capture  of  a  whale — Winter  quar- 
ters at  Fort  Hope  —  Hall's  daily  life  —  Auroras  —  Refraction  and  parhelia  —  Native 
mapping — Unsuccessful  advance  westward  —  Franklin  relics — Journey  to  Cape 
Weynton  —  Journey  to  Fury  and  Hecla  Straits  —  A  mutineer  —  Journey  to  Igloolik 

—  Visit  to  King  William  Land  —  Franklin  relics  —  Capture  of  the  third  whale  — 
Return  to  the  United  States 190 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HALL'S  VOYAGE  IN  THE   '/POLARIS." 

Early  design  to  reach  the  pole  —  Lectures  in  Washington  —  Appropriation  by 
Congress — The  *'  Polaris"  sails  from  New  York —  Arrives  at  Fiskemaes  —  U.  S.  S. 
"Congress"  at  Godhavn  —  Hans  Hendrick  —  Tessuissak  —  North  water  reached 

—  The  "  Polaris  "  beset  at  82°  16'  —  Consultation  —  Drift  to  the  South  —  Anchored 
to  Providence  Berg  —  Winter  quarters  —  Sledge  journey  —  Deposit  in  the  cairn —  , 
Hall's  death  and  burial  —  Winter  of  1871-72  —  Auroras —  Return  of  the  sun  —  The 
"Polaris"  leaves  the  harbor  —  Drifts  South  —  The  separation  —  The  ship  leaking 

—  House  on  the  floe  —  Drift  of  the  floe  party  and  rescue  —  Relief  ships  sent  for  the 
"  Polaris"  — DeLong's  cruise  —  Rescue  of  the  Polaris  party  by  the  "  Ravenscraig" 

—  Hall's  memorials  —  Medal  awarded  —  Tablet  put  up  by  the  English  Expedition 

—  The  Eskimos  Kud-la-go,   Joe,   Hannah,   Ou-se-gong,  and  Abbot  —  Graves  at 
Groton,  Conn 269 


CHAPTER  IX. 
SLEDGE   JOURNEY  OF  LIEUTENANT  SCHWATKA,  U.  S.  A. 

Reports  from  Hudson's  Bay  which  occasioned  the  journey— Sailing  of  the 
"  Eothen  "  — Arrival  at  Depot  Island  —  The  true  story  of  "  The  Spoon  "—Decision 
to  cross  to  King  William  Land  — Meeting  with  the  Innuits;  their  stories  —  Visit  to 
the  cairn  —  Remains  of  Lieutenant  Irving,  R,  N.,  identified  —  .Tourney  to  Cape 
Felix  —  No  records  found  —  Relics  of  Franklin's  Expedition  —  Camping  out  and 
sledge  journey,  October,  1879,  to  March  4,  1880- Return  to  the  United  States  — 
Award  of  a  medal  by  the  Geographical  Society  of  Paris  —  Recognition  of  the  work 
by  Congress — Renewed  search  for  the  records  and  journals  of  the  Franklin  Ex- 
pedition   '6i5 


iO  TABLE  OF   CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 

LIEUTENANT  DeLONG'S  EXPEDITION  TOWARD  THE  POLE,  1879-81. 

The  expedition  DeLong's  own  prompting — Mr.  Bennett  undertakes  it  — Selection 
of  the  route  —  Theories  —  DeLong's  plan  —  The  "  Jeannette"  commissioned  —  Re- 
port <Jf  the  Board  of  Inspection  at  Mare  Island  —  Officers  and  Crew —  Sailing  from 
San  Francisco  —  Arrival  at  St.  Michael's  —  Reports  of  Nordenskiold  —  Passing  the 
Straits  —  Attempts  to  reach  Wrangell  and  Herald  Islands  —  Frozen  in  the  Pack, 
September  6  —  Chipp  attempts  the  crossing  to  Herald  Island  —  The  "Jeannette" 
drifts  northwest  past  Wrangell  Land  —  Pumping  begun  —  Lieutenant  Danenhower 
disabled  —  The  return  of  the  sun  —  Experiment  of  the  windmill  pump  —  DeLong 
abandons  the  theory  of  the  currents  —  Scientific  observations  kept  up  —  The  frozen 
summer  —  Auroral  phenomena  —  Continued  drift  northwest  —  Discovery  of  Jean- 
nette and  Henrietta  Islands  —  The  "  Jeannette"  crushed  —  Landing  on  the  floe  — 
Discovery  of  Bennett  Island ;  description  of  it  by  Dr.  Ambler  —  The  three  boats  — 
Their  separation  —  The  whaleboat  party  land  on  the  Lena  Delta  —  The  first  cutter 
imder  DeLong  —  Sufferings  —  DeLong's  last  entries  —  Danenhower's  search  — 
Melville's  search  —  The  dead  ten  found  —  Their  burial  —  Return  of  Lieutenant 
Danenhower  —  Search  begun  by  Lieutenant  Harber  —  Engineer  Melville's  return  — 
Appropriation  to  bring  the  bodies  home  —  Their  expected  arrival 


CHAPTER  XI. 

,  RELIEF  EXPEDITIONS  FOR  THE  "JEANNETTE  "—THE  TWO  FIRST 
CRUISES  OF  THE  "CORWIN"— THE  CRUISES  OF  THE 
"RODGERS"  AND  "ALLIANCE." 

The  "  Cokwin's  "  First  Ckuise,  1880. 

The  missing  whalers  —  Instructions  of  Secretary  Sherman  for  their  search  and 
for  the  "  Jeannette  "  —  The  ship  refitted  at  San  Francisco  —  Arrives  at  Ounalaska, 
June  7th  —  Nipped  in  the  pack  off  Cape  Romanzoff,  June  16th  —  Enters  the  Arctic 
Sea,  28th  —  Last  sight  of  the  "Mount  Wollaston"  and  " Vigilant "  reported  by 
Captain  Bauldry — Visit  to  the  cave  dwellers  on  King's  Island  —  The  coal  vein  East 
of  Cape  Lisburne  —Within  seven  miles  of  Herald  Island  —  Wrangell  Land  in  sight 

—  Land  seen  to  the  North  —  Return  of  the  "Corwin"  — Captain  Hooper's  notes 
of  the  ice  —  Of  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  natives  on  the  shores  of  the  Arctic 

and  Bering  Sea 428 

Second  Cruise  of  the  "  Corwin."  ^ 

Instructions  of  Secretary  Sherman  —  Officers  —  Sailing  from  San  Francigco  — 
Onalga  Pass  —  Ounalaska  —  St.  Lawrence  Island  —  Reports  of  the  missing  ships  at 
Cape  Serdze-Kamen  —  Arrival  of  the  "  Corwin"  — Sledge  party  to  search  th*  shore 

—  Plover  Bay  —  Return  to  Cape  Serdze  —  Landing  on  Herald  Island — Character  of 
the  Island  —  Landing  on  Wrangell  Land  —  Discovery  of  this  land  by  Captains  Long 
and  Raynor,  1867 — Visit  to  Point  Barrow  —  Return  to  San  Francisco  —  Tribute  to 
DeLong 447 


TABLE  ^F  CONTENTS.  U 

The  Cruise  of  the  "  Rodgebs." 

Petitions  to  Congress  for  relief  of  the  "  Jeannette"  —  Appropriation  granted  — 
Selection  of  vessel  —  The  "Mary  and  Helen"  purchased  —  A  Naval  Board  con- 
vened for  advice  in  regard  to  the  search  —  Its  officers  —  Suggestions  —  Testimony 
of  ship-captains  and  experts  —  Instructions  to  Lieutenant  R.  M.  Berry  —  The 
"Rodgers"  equipped  and  commissioned  —  Her  officers  —  Arrives  at  St.  Lawrence 
Bay,  at  Petropaulovski,  Wrangell  Land  — Finds  a  harbor  and  explores  the  island 
—  Reaches  lat.  73°  44'  —  Arrives  at  Cape  Serdze  and  lands  a  party  to  search  for  the 
missing  crews  —  The  "Rodgers"  burned  —  Master  Putnam  lost  on  the  ice  —  Lieu- 
tenant Berry  searches  the  coast  —  Joins  Engineer  Melville  at  Yakutsk  —  Learns  the 
orders  to  Lieutenant  Harber  and  returns  home 473 

The  Cruise  of  the  U.  S.  Steamer  "  Alliance,"  June  16  to  Oct.  11, 1881. 

Fitting  out  of  the  "Alliance  " — Instructions  to  Commander  Cooper  and  to  Com- 
mander Wadleigh  — Arrival  at  Reykiavik  —  Description  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  circu- 
lated —  The  harbor  of  Hammerf est,  Norway  —  Green  Bay,  Spitzbergen  —  Tidal 
marks  established  —  Cruise  in  lat.  79° — The  ice  barrier  —  Return  to  the  United 
States  under  orders 485 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  ANTARCTIC  CRUISE  OF  LIEUTENANT  (LATE  ADMIRAL) 
CHARLES  WILKES,  U.  S.  N.,  1839-40. 

The  Antarctic  region  a  terra  incognita  —  Object  of  its  explorations  compared 
with  explorations  in  the  Arctic  —  National  aid  required  —  Earliest  American  dis- 
covery—  Foreign  explorations,  private  and  national — Wilkes'  cruise  a  part  of  the 
plans  of  the  exploring  expedition  of  1838-42  —  Organization  of  the  squadron  and  its 
route  —  First  cruise  towards  Cook's  Ne-plus-ultra  —  Cruise  along  the  icy  barrier  — 
Reported  discovery  of  the  continent  — Award  of  the  gold  medal  by  Royal  Geographi- 
cal Society,  London  —  Discoveries  of  Ross  —  Scientific  results  —  Collections  in  the 
National  Museum,  Washington 


CHAPTER  Xin. 

SUMMARY  OF  THE  EXPEDITION,  BENEFICIAL  RESULTS. 

The  American  Arctic  Expeditions  —  Highest  points  reached — Value  of  Arctic 
explorations  endorsed  by  We3rprecht,  Maury,  Henry,  Bache,  Barrow,  and  Osbom 
—  Meteorological  stations  in  the  ice  zones  —  Their  purpose  distinct  from  the  Polar 
problem  —  Lieutenant  Weyprecht's  proposition — Stations  under  the  International 
Commission  recommended  by  Professor  Henry  —  Preliminary  voyage  of  the  "  Flor- 
ence"—  Sherman's  and  Kiimlien's  reports  —  Signal  Service  Station  at  Lady  Frank- 
liri  Bay  —  Unsuccessful  attempts  for  relief  —  Signal  Service  Station  near  Point 
Barrow  —  Preliminary  reports  —  Geographical  discoveiy  —  Benefits  to  the  whale 
fisheries  —  Small  number  of  lives  lost  in  the  expeditions  —  Further  explorations  .    .      525 


ERRATA. 


Page  330.     Title  of  Cut.     For  "Tyson's  crew  sighting  the  '  Kavenscraig '  off  Labra- 
dor," read  "  Budington's  crew  sighting  the  '  Ravenscraig.'  " 
Page  353,  line  20.     For  "  1881 "  read  1818. 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


CiKCUMPOLAK  Map Pocket. 

Map  of  Alaska  and  the  Strait Pages    470, 471 


BSSooti  lEngrabingg. 


r 


In  the  Pack Frontispiece. 

Scaling  an  Iceberg 19 

Barometer  of  Franklin's  Expedition,  38 

The  Crow's  Nest 56 

The  Three  Graves 58 

Portrait  of  Kane*  (to  face)      ...  65 

Harbor  of  St.  Johns 69 

An  Arctic  Moonlight  Scene  (to/ace)  87 

Godhavn 90 

The  Kane  Medal 105 

Portrait  of   Admiral    Rodgers   (to 

face) 108 

Porti-ait  of  Dr.  Hayes*  {to  face)  .     .  132 

Belted  Iceberg 134 

Upemavik 135 

Fonlke  Fiord 143 

The  Be?t  Part  of  a  Sledge  Joimiey,  146 
Unfurling  the  Flags  ("The  Open 

Polar  Sea."  J.  R.  Osgood  &  Co.),  148 

A  Snow  Village 156 

Chart  of  Smith  Sound  ("The  Open 

Polar  Sea,"  J.  R.  Osgood  &  Co.),  159 

Vignette  of  Sir  John  Franklin    .     .  164 

Governor  Elborg  in  his  Oomiak  169 


Pask 

170 


Eskimo  Woman  and  Child     .     . 

Kyak  Somerset 171 

Gothic  Iceberg      .......  172 

Loss  of  the  "  Rescue  "....,  175 

Nik-u-jar,  the  Boat  Steerer    .    .    .  176 

Eskimo  Dog 177 

Eskimo  Lamp 178 

Storm  Bound 179 

Passing  through  Lupton  Channel   .  183 

Indian  Summer  Village     ....  184 

One  of  Frobisher's  "  Gold  Mines,"  185 

Eskimo  and  Seal  Dog 192 

Seal  Hole  and  Igloo  ....      194,  195 

Too-koo-litoo,  Hall,  and  Ebierbing,  197 

Eskimo  Lamp 198 

Sir  Martin  Frobisher 201 

Frobisher  Bay  and  Grinnell  Glacier  207 

Polar  Bear  of  Hudson  Strait  ...  208 

Snow  Partridges 212 

Hall's  First  Igloo,  Ground-plan,    213,  214 

Game  ofCup  and  Ball 216 

Key-low-tik  and  Ken-toon ....  217 

Playing  the  Key-low-tik    ....  219 

Sek-koons 220 


•  From  "  The  Jeannette,"  by  Capt.  Perry.    Kewman  &  Cobum  Publishing  Company. 


14 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


A  Walrus-Hunt 223 

A  Walrus  Head 224 

Grouud-plan   of  New  Year's  Day 

Igloo 226 

Ground-plan  of  Igloo  Built  on  a 

Journey 227 

Arrowtar 228 

Ebierbing  Going  out  Sealing      .     .  230 

Capturing  a  Whale 233 

Too-koo-litoo  (Hannah)      ....  236 

Ar-too-a  Drowned  in  his  Kia      .     .  237 

Innuit  Head-Ornament 238 

Now- Yarn  Harbor 239 

Aurora  Sketched  by  Hall   ....  241 

Papa's  Sketch  of  Pond  Bay     ...  242 

Franklin  Relics 247,  248 

Bone-Charms  and  Knife     ....  251 

The  Tenting- Place    .     ...     .     .'254 

Monument  and  Coast-Line     .     .     .  255 

Hall's  Boat-Log    .     .     .     ...     .  257 

Snow  Village    .     .     .     .     .  "  .     .     .  258 

Setting    out     for '  King    William 

Land .  260 

Hall's  Tablet-Covers      .     .     .     .     .  261 

Ivoi*y  Knives 262 

Page  of  Hall's  Note-Book  ....  263 

Sir  John  Franklin's  Desk  .     .     .     .  266 

Hannah's  Musk-Ox  and  Deer  Horns,  268 
Fiskernaes    .     .     .     .     ..'".-.     .272 

Lichtenfels   ....     .'■     .\     .  274 

Tessuissak,  or  Tessiussak  .     .     .     .  277 

Shooting  Walrus .  279 

"  Polaris "   Passing    Fitz-Clarence 

Rock 281 

Working  through  the  Ice  ....  283 

"Polaris  "  in  Thank-God  Harbor    .  285 

Landing  Stores  on  the  Ice      .     .     .  287 

Shooting  a  Musk-Ox 290 

The  Cairn 294 

Funeral  of  Captain  Hall     ....  299 

The  "  Polaris "  Adrift    .     .     .     .     .  301 


Fastening  to  the  Berg 303 

Mock  Moons 309 

"  Polaris  "  rounding  the  Berg     .     .     311 

Boat  Camp 313 

House  on  the  Floe 314 

Before  Separation 315 

The  Separation 317 

Polaris  House,  Life-Boat  Cave  .     .     819 
Landing  on    Northumberland   Isl- 
and    328 

Sighting  the  "  Ravenscraig "  .  .  330 
Hall's  Medal  from  Paris  ....  333 
Hall's  Grave  ....  '.«:'.  .'398 
On-se-gong  and  Kud-lup-pa-mune  .'  342 
Lieutenant  Schwatka  ("  Schwatka's 
Search,"  Scribner's  Sons),  to  face    345 

Franklin's  Spoon 350 

The  March  Southward  ("Schwatka's 
Search,"  Scribner's  Sons)    .     .     ..    355 

Cold  Weather  .     ...     .     .     .     .     357 

Eskimo  Needle-Case      '.     .     .     .     .     362 

Lieutenant-Commander    DeLong,* 

(to face)      .     .     .     :     .     .     V    :•  V    S6&^ 
Lieutenant  Chipp*     .     .     .     .     .'^  .•'  374-' 

Lieutenant  Danenhower*  .     .     . '   ;-  "^76 
Engineer  Melville*    .     .     .     .    ^ ''':  '■■  879 ' 

Surgeon  Ambler* .     .     .  '.' '.     y^:'    382- 
An  Arctic  Boat  Journey  "%     .    '.'   ■ ;    404 
The  Delta     .     .     .    .     .     .    .    .     X  4m 

The  Cross*    .    .^^.  "n '''.  ^  •.     ••  ';>  V >  415  ' 
The  Tomb*.     ....     .:.;■.- 417- 

The  "  Corwin  "  in  a  Nip    .     .    f   .  ^  ^ai  ' 

Herald  Island !     .-.'•tes' 

Oomiak    ;    ."  .^%r"i'^  %    V    .'    .     .  '446' 
Arctic  Ravine  .     ..-  i"'.''.     .'  .'^i-'^Sl 
Wrangell  Island    .'  '*'   '.     .  " . '  '.f'  /  ■  465 
Map  of  Wrangell  Island     .     .J    ;   ■479- 
The   Penguins   ("Wood's    Natural 

History,"  Porter  &  Coates)      .     .     504 
The  Albatross   ("Wood's    Natural 
History,"  Porter  &  Coates)     .     .60^ 


•  From  "  The  Jeannette,"  by  Capt.  Perry.    Uewman  &  Cbburii  Pal>lishing  Company. 


This  volume  purposes  to  accredit  the  work  of  American  explorers  in  a  region  toward 
which  the  world  still  looks  with  interest  and  unsatisfied  inquiry.  Arctic  exploration  will 
not  soon  be  abandoned.  However  much,  in  this  age  of  unprecedented  advance  in  the 
more  directly  practical,  it  may  seem  to  some  to  deserve  place  with  the  visionary  only,  it 
confessedly  embraces  problems  of  high  value.  The  geographer  would  gladly  exchange  his 
dotted  and  broken  lines  for  definite  boundaries;  the  ethnologist  and  the  Christian  have 
questions  to  ask  of  this  region  bearing  on  the  unity  and  the  development  of  the  race;  and 
the  scientist  awaits  from  the  sea  of  the  far-off  North,  revelations  the  key  to  which  Nature 
has  as  yet  hidden  from  him. 

A  third  of  a  century  has  passed  since  history  cordially  admitted  to  her  domain  the 
records  of  De  Haven  and  Kane;  Hayes  and  Hall  gave  to  her  their  work  of  the  succeeding 
decade;  our  younger  officers  —  De  Long,  Chipp,  and  their  associates  —  have  closed  with 
their  lives  the  latest  Arctic  records. 

The  volumes  from  Kane's  pen  cannot  be  found  on  the  shelves  of  a  large  number  of  our 
increasing  libraries,  while  the  publications  of  the  United  States  Government,  in  official 
form,  are  too  bulky  for  the  convenience  of  the  general  reader.  It  is  the  design  of  the 
publishers  of  the  volume  now  offered,  to  bring  together  within  the  reach,  especially  of  the 
young,  the  labors  of  each  American  explorer,  and  to  this  desire  the  most  cordial  response 
is  made  from  a  re-study  of  these  labors,  each  of  which  reflects  honor  upon  our  countiy. 
The  chapters  which  follow  embrace  brief  notices  of  the  expedition  for  the  Northwest  pas- 
sage under  Sir  John  Franklin,  the  voyages  of  Lieutenant  De  Haven,  and  of  Dr.  Kane,  of 
tlie  late  Admiral  Kodgers,  Dr.  Hayes,  the  three  expeditions  of  C.  F.  Hall,  the  remarkable 
sledge  journey  of  three  thousand  miles  by  Lieutenant  Schwatka,  U.S.A.,  the  ci-uise  and 
loss  of  the  "  Jeannette,"  and  the  relief  expeditions  sent  out  for  De  Long  by  the  Treasury 
Department  under  Captain  Hooper,  and  by  the  Navy  Department  under  Lieutenant  Berry. 
To  these  is  added  a  notice  of  the  first  expedition  sent  out  by  the  United  States  for  scien- 
tific purposes,  that  of  1838-42  under  Lieutenant  (late  Admiral)  Wilkes;  the  volume  closes 
with  a  statement  of  the  positions  and  objects  of  the  Arctic  Observers  under  the  U.  S. 

Signal  Service. 

J.  E.  N. 


Washington,  Dec.  1,  1883. 


AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS 


THE    ICE    ZONES. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS,  SEA  AND  LAND. — COMPARISON  OP  THE  ICE 
ZONES  OF  THE  NORTH  AND  THE  SOUTH.  —  THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE 
POLE  AND  THE  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE.  —  CHIEF  ATTEMPTS  FOR  ITS 
SOLUTION.  —  PARTICIPATION  IN  THESE  ATTEMPTS  BY  THE  A:MERICAN 
COLONIES.  —  AMERICAN  VOYAGES  RESULTING  FROM  THE  FRANKLIN 
EXPEDITION,   AND  THEIR   RENEWAL  IN   1850. 

THE  field  of  Arctic  exploration  includes  a  section  of  the  earth's 
surface  not  strictly  coincident  with  the  Arctic  circle  of  the  geog- 
raphers. Countries  such  as  South  Greenland,  Labrador,  or 
Alaska,  in  the  western  hemisphere,  or  the  region  around  Lake  Baikal 
in  the  eastern,  though  situated  as  low  as  the  sixtieth,  or  even  the  fiftieth 
parallel  of  north  latitude,  have  a  decidedly  Arctic  climate,  with  its 
products ;  while  others,  as  the  coast  of  Norway,  lying  far  nearer  the 
Pole,  but  under  specially  favorable  influ.ences,  enjoy  in  midwinter  a 
remarkably  mild  temperature. 

Arctic  exploration  has  of  necessity  employed  itself  both  upon  the 
stormy  sea  and  upon  the  snow  and  ice-bound  land.  The  great  ocear 
surrounding  the  Pole  drains  the  northern  slopes  of  three  continents, 
receiving  the  waters  of  an  estimated  area  of  more  than  four  and  a 
quarter  millions  of  square  miles,  and  its  river  systems  exceed  those  of 
the  West  Atlantic  coast.  Within  this  great  basin  the  Pole  itself  is,  as 
yet,  shut  out  from  access  by  an  investing  zone  of  probably  permanent 
ice ;  beyond  this  zone,  theory  still  places  an  open  sea. 

17 


18  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

The  undiscovered  polar  region  is  ]imited,  at  most  points  on  the 
American  and  European  sides,  by  about  the  eighty-second  parallel ;  on 
the  north  of  Asia  the  limit  is  as  low  as  the  seventy-fourth  degree.  To 
the  inner  basin  there  are  but  three  possible  ways  of  entrance :  the 
estuaries  of  Hudson's  and  Baffin  Bays,  north  of  America ;  the  space 
between  Greenland  and  Norway,  north  of  Europe ;  and  Behring's 
Straits,  between  America  and  Eastern  Russia. 

The  lands  of  the  Arctic  region  are  naturally  divided  into  two  well- 
marked  zones,  —  the  forests  and  the  treeless  wastes.  In  America  the 
latter  are  the  well-known  ''barrens,"  or  "barren  grounds,"  which  yield 
a  scanty  subsistence  to  the  suffering  natives,  and  were  traversed 
with  so  much  hardship  by  Franklin  and  by  those  who  sought  for  him 
by  land  in  the  explorations  hereafter  to  be  noted.  In  the  eastern  con- 
tinent they  bear  the  name  of  the  "tundra,"  often  showing  nothing 
more  than  boundless  morasses  or  arid  wastes,  tracked  by  the  feet  of 
Siberian  exiles  and  arctic  explorers,  including  the  perishing  ones  from 
the  "  Jeannette  "  and  its  survivors  in  their  search  for  the  lost.  Over 
such  scenes  many  weary  sledge-journeys  have  been  made,  to  the  extent 
of  more  than  a  thousand  miles  each.  A  narrative  of  Arctic  exploration 
leads,  therefore,  not  only  to  the  well-furnished  ship,  or  even  to  her 
deck  when  housed  for  the  winter  storms,  but  to  perilous  journeys  over 
tracks  at  times  scarcely  distinguishable  by  the  most  experienced ;  over 
ice-floes  and  fissures,  requiring  the  scaling  of  the  rough  and  dizzy 
crests  of  the  bergs.  The  chief  scene  of  Arctic  exploration,  however, 
is  upon  the  tempestuous  sea,  with  its  closing  nips,  and,  at  times,  equally 
dangerous  and  sudden  openings  on  the  seaman.  The  mysterious  waters 
hold  a  fascination  possessed  by  no  other  region,  creating  and  keeping 
up  an  indescribable  longing  for  adventure,  in  which  daring  spirits  have 
found  all  that  makes  travel  exciting. 

The  ice  zones  of  the  south  present  no  such  allurements.  No 
continents  there  approach  the  ocean's  shore,  while  a  glance  at  the 
world's  map  shows,  in  the  north,  a  preponderance  of  land,  spread- 
ing out  in  such  almost  unbroken  continuity  as  to  tempt  some  to 
the   theory   that    nearer   the    Pole    the  land  masses  are  separated  by 


ARCTIC   AND  ANTAKTIC   REGIONS   COMPARED. 


19 


a  chain  of  islands  only.  This  essential  difference  in  the  land  sur- 
faces accounts  in  part  for  the  extreme  difference  in  the  summer  tem- 
peratures of  the  two  zones.  The  ice  barrier  of  the  south  has  been  but 
once  penetrated  beyond  the- seventy-eighth  degree.  And  while,  even 
in  Spitzbergen,  vegetation  ascends  the  mountain  slopes  to  a  height  of 


SCALiNU  AH   ICEBERG. 

From  Captaia  UaU's  "  ArcUc  Eesearcbei/' published  b/  Harper  Si  Brot. 

three  thousand  feet,  in  every  land  within  or  near  the  Antarctic  circle 
the  snow  line  descends  to  the  water's  edge.  Not  even  a  moss  or  a 
lichen  has  been  observed  beyond  south  latitude  64°  12'.  In  Spitz- 
bergen the  thermometer  has  risen  to  58^°,  but  during  the  summer 
months  spent  by  Sir  James  Ross  in  the  Antarctic,  the  temjjerature  of 
the  air  never  once  exceeded  41°  5'.  No  hunters  there,  like  the  Eski- 
mos, chase  the  seal  or  the  walrus ;  no  herdsmen,  like  the  Lapps,  follow 
the  reindeer  to  the  ocean's  edge ;  not  a  single  land  quadruped  exists 
beyond  56°  :  all  is  one  dreary,  uninhabitable  waste.  In  the  north, 
coasts  and  valleys  at  equal  distances  from  the  equator  are  green  with 
vegetation ;  in  the  south  they  are  wastes  of  ice  and  snow. 

The  spread  of  the  northern  lands  points  us,  as  has  been  said,  chiefly 


20  AJVIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

to  the  causes  of  this  difference.  The  plains  of  Siberia  and  of  Northern 
America,  warmed  by  the  summer's  sun,  become  centres  of  radiating- 
heat ;  but  the  Antarctic  lands,  of  small  extent,  isolated  in  the  midst  of 
frigid  waters,  and  chilled  by  the  cold  sea-winds,  act  as  constant  refrige- 
rators. In  the  north,  icebergs  are  found  in  a  few  mountainous  coun- 
tries only ;  upon  Antarctic  lands  they  are  more  continuous,  tower 
much  higher,  and  their  vast  fragments  perpetually  maintain  the  low 
temperatures  of  the  sea,  detached  bergs  having  been  met  with  as  near 
the  equator  as  the  mouth  of  the  La  Plata.  In  the  latter  regions  no 
traces  of  warm  currents  have  been  observed  beyond  the  fifty-fifth 
degree  of  south  latitude ;  but  in  the  north  the  well-known  gulf  stream 
carries  its  powerful  influence  as  far  as  Norway,  Spitzbergen,  and  Nova 
Zembla,  thus  making  the  northern  zone,  by  comparison,  an  attractive 
scene  of  exploration  and  adventure.* 

Arctic  exploration  may  be  said  to  have  had  at  first  but  one  purpose  r 
to  reach  the  Pole,  and  cross  it  from  continent  to  continent ;  and  this^ 
indeed,  has  been  the  chief  element  in  the  polar  problem  for  the  last 
three  and  a  half  centuries.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  volume  to  refer 
briefly  to  the  events  giving  rise  to  this  problem,  to  the  persistent  efforts 
for  its  solution,  and  to  the  beneficial  results  secured  by  these  seemingly 
useless  labors.  The  Pole  has  not  been  reached,  and  may  not  be,  and 
the  short,  navigable  route  is  demonstrably  impracticable.  But  the 
incidental  results  of  exploration  have  far  more  than  compensated  for 
every  expenditure  of  thought  and  money,  for  all  of  exposure  and  dis- 
appointment. For  lessons  in  patience,  self-sacrifice,  and  heroic  en- 
durance, few  clearer  examples  can  be  drawn  from  the  world's  history 
than  those  to  be  found  in  the  baffled  attempts  to  reach  the  Pole.  And 
yet  the  world  has  learned  from  these,  that  Providence,  which  shapes 
the  destinies  of  men  and  nations,  ordains  that  while  men  may  fail  to 


*  The  remarkable  phenomenon  of  the  great  difference  between  the  two  zones  is  ac- 
counted for  by  the  meteorologist,  Mr.  Croll,  on  the  ground  that,  in  long  lapses  of  time, 
their  climates  alternate,  through  the  change  in  the  eccentricity  of  the  earth's  orbit,  in 
combination  with  the  precession  of  the  equinoxes.  In  both  regions  extensive  fossil  re- 
mains prove  that  a  tropical  or  semi-tropical  climate  formerly  existed.  Our  age  is  that  of 
excess  of  cold  in  the  Antarctic  zone. 


EARLY  SEARCH  FOR  A  PASSAGE  TO  CATHAY.  21 

attain  their  first  and  perhai)s  less  valuable  aims,  a  larger  reward  often 
awaits  their  unrelinquished  efforts. 

The  problem  of  the  Pole  and  the  northern  passage  had  its  birth  at 
the  great  era  of  the  discovery  of  America  and  of  the  new  way  to  the 
Indies  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  discoveries  which  snatched  mari- 
time commerce  from  its  old  seat  in  the  Mediterranean  and  gave  to  the 
Spaniards  and  the  Portuguese  its  almost  exclusive  control.  These 
nations  claimed  not  only  the  newly-discovered  countries,  but  the  right 
to  the  exclusive  navigation  of  the  ocean  between  them;  and  as  the 
attempt  by  any  other  nation  to  enter  those  seas  involved  a  war  with 
either,  or  both,  Spanish  and  Portuguese,  the  northern  maritime  nations 
began  seriously  to  think  of  some  shorter  passages  to  the  Indies  which 
would  give  them  commercial  superiority.  For  the  East,  as  the  region 
of  barbaric  -pearl  and  gold,  ever  loomed  up  before  the  mind  as  the 
land  of  unimagined  riches,  and  a  readier  passage  to  it,  as  a  feat  of 
■daring  but  of  sure  renown. 

England  led  the  way.  "  Having  then  no  anticipation  of  becoming 
the  sovereign  of  Hindostan,  she  hoped  for  a  peaceful  intercourse  by 
a  nearer  avenue  to  southern  Asia."  Of  this  the  old  navigator, 
Sebastian  Cabot,  said,  "When  the  news  was  brought  that  Don 
Christoval  Colon  had  discovered  the  coasts  of  India,  by  his  fame 
and  report,  there  increaseth  in  my  heart  a  great  flame  of  desire  to 
attempt  some  notable  thing;  and  understanding  by  reason  of  the 
sphere  (globe)  that  if  I  should  sail  by  way  of  the  northwest  I 
should  by  a  shorter  tract  come  into  India,  I  thereupon  caused  the 
king  to  be  advertised  of  my  device."  At  the  later  date  of  1569,  Martin 
Frobisher,  "being  persuaded  of  a  new  and  nearer  passage  to  Cataya 
(Cathay)  than  by  Capo  d'buona  Speranza,  which  the  Portugalles  yeerly 
use,  began  first  with  himselfe  to  devise,  and  then  with  his  friendes  to 
conferre,  and  layde  a  playne  platte  unto  them,  that  that  voyage  was 
not  only  possible  by  the  northwest,  but  also,  as  he  coulde  prove,  easie 
to  be  performed."  It  was  "the  only  thing  left  undone  in  the  world 
whereby  a  notable  mind  might  be  made  famous  and  fortunate." 

The  voyages  of  the  Cabots  established  the  well-known  right  of 
England  to  the  possession  of  the  North  American  coast,  securing  for 


22  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IX   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

the  coming  generations  their  great  home  of  freedom,  while  French, 
exploration  under  Verrazzani  and  Cartier  secured  a  like  claim  for 
France  on  the  regions  north  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  —  a  claim  afterward 
happily  absorbed  under  the  domain  of  English  law.  A  quarter  of  a 
century  after  Cabot's  day,  three  attempts  for  the  passage  of  the  north- 
west having  been  tried  in  vain,  a  northeast  course  to  Asia  was  sought 
by  the  fleet  of  Willoughby  and  Chancellor,  which  was  to  reach  Cathay 
by  doubling  the  northern  promontory  of  Lapland.  The  admiral's  fate 
was  tragical.  In  his  hoped-for  shelter  in  a  Lapland  harbor  he  was 
found  dead  in  his  cabin,  and  his  ship's  company  "  dead  in  various  parts 
of  the  vessel,  alone  or  in  groups."  But  his  second  officer.  Chancellor, 
first  for  the  English,  entered  the  harbor  of  Archangel.  It  was  "the 
discovery  of  Russia,"  or  as  a  Spanish  writer  says,  "  a  discovery  of  New 
Indies, — the  commencement  of  maritime  commerce  between  England 
and  Russia,  then  one  of  the  oldest  and  least  mixed  nations  in  Europe, 
but  which  was  awakening  from  a  long  lethargy  to  emerge  into  political 
distinction." 

The  voyages  of  Davis  (1585-86),  on  the  third  of  which,  when  in 
lat.  75°,  he  was  "  in  a  great  sea  free  from  ice,  neither  was  there  any 
ice  toward  the  north,  but  a  sea  free,  large,  and  very  salt  and  blue,  and 
of  unsearchable  depth,"  added  nothing  to  tlie  discovery  of  the  passage 
beyond  the  renewed  conviction  of  that  day  that  the  way  toward  the 
north  was  without  impediment.  The  same  remark  may  be  applied  to 
the  voyages  of  Barentz  and  Hudson  and  Baffin ;  the  two  last  being  made 
in  the  first  quarter  of  the  century  following.  Yet  the  experiences  of 
the  sturdy  navigators  on  the  northern  Asiatic  coast,  and  the  opening 
up  on  the  north  of  America  of  the  great  inland  sea  and  of  the  estuaries, 
Smith's,  Lancaster,  and  Whale  Sounds,  were  further  induoenients  for 
prosecuting  the  search. 

Outside  of  the  direct  object  named,  large  beneficial  results  were 
secured.  The  whale  fisheries  became  the  great  object  for  which  several 
nations  comi)eted;  and  the  charts  of  Baffin  and  the  voyages  of  Hudson 
led  the  way  to  this  for  the  Dutch,  and  afterward  for  the  English  mer- 
chant. But  from  this  date  little  of  Arctic  exploration  for  the  North- 
west passage  was  entered  upon  for  a  centnry. 


FIRST   REPORTED   AMERICAN   VOYAGES.  2;^ 

The  enterprise  first  attracted  royal  attention  in  tlie  third  quarter  of  the 
eighteenth  century ;  George  III.,  at  the  instance  of  the  Royal  Society 
of  the  Admiralty,  sending  out  on  exj)edition  under  Captain  Phipps  and 
toward  the  regions  north  of  Spitzbergen.  In  his  "  Journal  of  a  Voy- 
age to  the  North  Pole,"  the  captain  entered  the  sea  "during  a  sum- 
mer affording  the  fullest  examination;  but  the  wall  of  ice  between 
latitudes  80°  and  81°  showed  for  more  than  twenty  degrees  not  the 
smallest  appearance  of  any  opening."  In  this  expedition,  Nelson,  then 
but  fifteen  years  of  age,  exhibited  a  bravery  and  cool  courage  prophetic 
of  his  subsequent  career. 

Three  years  later,  in  July,  1776,  Captain  Cook  sailed  for  the  South 
Sea  to  make  discoveries  in  the  Pacific,  and  to  return  to  England,  as  he 
hoped,  by  Behring's  Strait.  For,  although  the  route  to  India  by  the 
Cape  and  the  monopoly  of  commerce  once  enjoyed  by  Spain  and 
Portugal  had  long  before  fallen  into  English  hands,  the  northern  pas- 
sage was  still  sought,  as  promising  a  shorter  and  less  expensive  route ; 
and  an  act  was  passed  by  parliament  offering  .£20,000  to  any  vessel 
which  should  make  the  passage  from  continent  to  continent  in  either 
direction.  Cook's  ships  were  wholly  unfitted  to  contend  with  northern 
ice.  He  discovered  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  explored  Behring's  Strait, 
but  was  speedily  driven  back  by  the  ice  after  reaching  Icy  Cape.  From 
tliis  date  Arctic  exploration,  with  the  exception  of  the  discoveries  of 
Mackenzie  and  Hearne  by  land,  the  laudable  efforts  of  the  American 
colonists,  and  the  attempts  of  the  Russians  to  double  their  northern 
coasts,  was  again  nearly  suspended. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  provinces  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania, 
and  possibly  of  Rhode  Island  and  of  Massachussetts  at  a  still  earlier 
date,  that  the  enterprise  was  not  forgotten.  The  first  note  of  these 
efforts  here  given  does  not  belong  to  the  region  of  authentic  history, 
but  is  referred  to  as  exhibiting  indications  of  at  least  a  more  than 
probable  knowledge  of  and  sympathy  with  the  object.  The  expedi- 
tions of  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  show  that  the  colonies, 
even  in  their  disjointed  and  feeble  state,  and  in  advance  of  the  royal 
countenance  of  the  undertaking,  contributed  their  full  share  to  it.  It 
will  be  remembered  that   the   London   Company,  as   early   as   1607, 


24  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

instructed  the  Virginia  colonists  to  seek  a  communication  with  the 
South  Sea,  and  the  famous  Captain  John  Smith  was  taken  prisoner  in 
his  ascent  of  the  Chickahominy  for  that  object.  It  was  clearly  the 
purpose  of  the  colonists  to  find  a  water  route  to  Asia  if  possible. 

In  the  letter  which  follows  these  notices,  the  odd  reference  to  "  the 
parson  "  niay  perhaps  be  accounted  for  by  remembering  the  old  antag- 
onisms between  the  Quaker  and  the  officers  of  the  Church  of  England. 


EARLY  AMERICAN   VOYAGES. 

I.  A  Voyage  Reported  to  have  been  made  from  Boston  in 
1639.  —  Ellis,  in  his  "Voyage  of  the  Dobbs  and  California"  says:  — 

"  A  Mr.  Groiseleiz,  an  inhabitant  of  Canada,  a  bold  and  enterprising 
man,  and  one  who  had  travelled  much  in  those  parts,  reached  the  coasts 
of  Hudson's  Bay  from  the  French  settlements.  On  his  return  he  pre- 
vailed on  his  countrymen  to  fit  out  a  bark  for  perfecting  the  discovery 
b}'^  sea ;  which  being  done,  and  he,  landing  on  the  coast,  was  amazed  to 
find  that  some  of  his  company  had  discovered  an  English  settlement 
near  Port  Nelson.  On  his  arrival  there  he  found  a  party  who  told  him 
they  were  part  of  a  ship's  crew  from  Boston ;  that  they  were  set  on 
shore  to  look  for  a  place  where  the  ship  might  winter." 

To  this  statement,  which  is  a  condensation  of  Ellis'  narrative,  he 
adds  in  substance,  — 

"It  is  imjJossible  to  say  whether  this  was  the  ship  in  De  Fonte's 
account ;  but  if  it  was,  or  if  we  should  be  wrong  in  this  conjecture,  it 
will  still  remain  an  incontestible  proof  that  some  attempts  were  made 
from  Boston,  when  they  were  laid  aside  and  forgot  at  London  and 
Bristol." 

De  Fonte  was  the  Spanish  admiral  spoken  of  by  Thomas  Jefferys 
in  his  "  Great  Probability  of  the  Northwest  Passage,  1768  "  as  having 
been  sent  out  to  intercept  the  reported  voyage  of  the  ship  from  Boston, 
as  a  violation  of  Spanish  right  at  the  time  when  Spain  enjoyed  the 
exclusive  route  to  the  Indies.  Snow,  in  his  "  History  of  Boston,"  treats 
the  story  of  the  admiral  as  a  myth.  The  voyage  was  probably  for 
trading  purposes. 


BENJAMIN   FRANKLIN  S   EXPEDITION.  20 

II.  A  trace  of  a  better  authenticated  expedition  is  found  in  the 
♦*  Gentlemen's  Magazine,"  London,  Nov.  1772,  which  says :  — 

"  By  a  letter  from  James  Wilder,  captain  of  the  Diligence,  fitted  out 
in  Virginia  by  subscription,  with  a  view  to  the  discovery  of  the  long- 
sought  Northwest  passage,  it  appears  by  the  course  of  the  tides  there 
is  a  passage,  but  that  it  is  seldom  or  never  open,  and  he  believes 
impassable.  He  sailed  as  high  as  69°  11',  and  discovered  a  large  bay." 
To  this  voyage  the  "  American  Quarterly  Review  "  of  1828,  as  well  as 
Scoresby  in  his  "Account  of  the  Arctic  Regions,"  and  Macpherson  in 
his  "Annals  of  Commerce,"  Vol.  III., refers  iit  some  length. 

III.  An  Eaulier  and  also  Undisputed  Account.  —  The  nar- 
rative of  most  interest  is  that  of  the  efifort  made  under  the  auspices 
of  Dr.  Franklin,  whose  letter  below  notes  it:  — 

Philadelphia,  Feb.  28,  1753. 

..."  I  believe  I  have  not  before  told  you  that  I  have  provided  a 

subscription  here  of  £1500  to  fit  out  a  vessel  in' search  of  a  Northwest 

passage.     She  sails  in  a  few  days,  and  is  called  the  Argo,  commanded 

by  Mr.  Swaine,  who  was  in  the  last  expedition  in  the  California,  and 

author  of  a  Journal  of  that  voyage  in  two  volumes.     We  think  the 

attempt  laudable,  whatever  may  be  the  success.     If  she  fails,  '  magnis 

tamen  excidit  ausis.'         With  great  esteem, 

Benj.  Franklin." 

Mr.  Cadwaladek  Golden,  N.Y. 

Of  this  voyage  the  "  Pennsylvania  Gazette,"  "  printed  for  Benjamin 
Franklin,  postmaster,  and  D.  Hall,"  November  15,  1753,  says :  — 

"  Sunday  last  arrived  here  the  schooner  Argo,  Capt.  Charles  Swaine, 
who  sailed  from  this  port  last  spring,  on  the  discovery  of  a  Northwest 
passage.  She  fell  in  with  ice  off  Cape  Farewell ;  left  the  eastern  ice 
and  fell  in  with  the  western  ice,  in  lat.  58°,  and  cruised  to  the  north- 
ward to  lat.  63°,  to  clear  it,  but  could  not ;  it  then  extending  to  the 
eastward.  On  her  return  to  the  southward,  she  met  with  two  Danish 
ships  bound  to  Ball  river  and  Disco,  up  Davis  Straits,  who  had  been  in 
the  ice  fourteen  days  off  Farewell,  and  had  then  stood  to  westward  and 
assured  the  commander  that  the  ice  was  fast  to  the  shore  all  above 


26  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Hudson's  Straits  to  the  distance  of  forty  degrees  out :  and  that  there  had 
not  been  such  a  severe  winter  as  the  last  these  twenty-four  years  that 
they  had  used  that  trade ;  they  had  been  nine  weeks  from  Copenhagen. 
The  Argo,  finding  she  could  not  get  round  the  ice,  pressed  through  it 
and  got  into  the  strait's  mouth  the  26th  of  June,  and  made  the  Island 
Resolution,  but  was  forced  out  by  vast  quantities  of  driving  ice,  and 
got  into  a  clear  sea  the  first  of  July.  On  the  14th,  cruising  the  ice 
for  an  opening  to  get  in  again,  she  met  4  sail  of  Hudson's  Bay  ships 
endeavoring  to  get  in,  and  continued  with  them  till  the  19th,  when 
they  parted  in  thick  weather,  in  lat.  62°  and  a  half,  which  weather- 
continued  until  the  7th  of  August.  The  Hudson  Bay  men  supposed 
themselves  40  leagues  from  the  western  land. 

"  The  Argo  ran  down  the  ice  from  63°  to  57°  30',  and  after  repeated 
attempts  to  enter  the  straits  in  vain,  as  the  season  for  discovery  on 
the  western  side  of  the  Bay  was  over,  she  went  on  the  Labrador  coasts 
and  discovered  it  perfectly  from  56°  to  55°,  finding  no  less  than  six  inlets,, 
to  the  heads  of  all  of  which  they  went,  and  of  which  we  hear  they 
have  made  a  very  good  cliart,  and  have  a  better  account  of  the 
country,  its  soil,  produce,  etc.,  than  has  hitherto  been  published. 

"The  captain  says  't  is  much  like  Norway,  and  that  there  is  no 
communication  with  Hudson's  Bay  through  Labrador  where  one  has. 
heretofore  imagined,  a  high  ridge  of  mountains  running  north  and 
south,  about  fifty  leagues  within  the  coast.  In  one  of  the  harbors  they 
found  a  deserted  wooden  house,  with  a  brick  chimney,  which  had  been 
built  by  some  English,  as  appeared  by  sundry  things  they  left  behind : 
and  afterwards  in  another  harbor  they  met  with  Captain  Goff  in  a 
Snow  (a  three-masted  vessel,  the  third  mast  abaft  the  mainmast, 
carrying  a  trysail)  from  London,  who  informed  them  that  the  same 
Snow  had  been  there  last  year,  and  landed  some  of  the  Moravian 
Brethren,  who  had  built  that  house ;  but  the  natives,  havhig  decoyed 
the  then  captain  of  the  Snow  and  five  or  six  of  his  hands  in  their 
boat  round  a  point  of  land  at  a  distance  from  the  Snow,  under 
pretence  of  trade,  and  carried  them  all  off  (they  having  gone  impru- 
dently without  arms),  the  Snow  after  waiting  sixteen  days  without 
hearing  of  them,  went  home  and  was  obliged  to  take  away  the  Mora- 


PENNSYLVANIA  AND  THE  NORTH-WEST   PASSAGE.  27 

vians  to  help  to  work  the  vessel.  Part  of  the  business  this  year 
was  to  inquire  after  those  men.  Captain  Swaine  discovered  a  fine 
fishing  bank,  which  lies  but  six  leagues  off  the  coast,  and  extends 
from  lat.  57°  to  54°,  supposed  to  be  the  same  hinted  at  in  Captain 
Davis's  second  voyage.  No  bad  accident  happened  to  the  vessel, 
and  the  men  kept  in  perfect  health  during  the  whole  voyage  and 
returned  all  well." 

Not  satisfied  with  the  results  of  this  attempt.  Captain  Swaine  again 
sailed  in  the  "Argo"  the  following  spring,  and  the  "Pennsylvania 
Journal  and  Weekly  Advertiser"  of  Thursday,  Oct.  24,  1754,  pul)- 
lished  in  Philadelphia,  says :  — 

"On  Sunday  last  arrived  here  the  schooner  ^Argo,  Capt.  Swaine, 
who  was  fitted  out  in  the  spring  on  the  discovery  of  a  Northwest 
passage,  but  having  three  of  his  men  killed  on  the  Labrador  coast,^ 
returned  without  success." 

The  "  Gazette  "  also  says :  — 

"  On  Sunday  last  arrived  the  schooner  Argo  from  a  second  attempt 
of  a  discovery  of  the  Northwest  passage,  but  without  success." 

In  regard  to  this  voyage,  the  Penn  papers  of  the  library  of  the  His- 
torical Society  of  Pennsylvania  furnish  the  following 

"  Letter  from  Will.  Allen,  merchant,  and,  at  a  later  date.  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  to  the  Proprietary,  Thomas  Penn.''' 

Philadelphia,  November  IS,  1752. 

Sir,  —  As  I  am  assured  that  everything  that  regards  the  interest 
and  reputation  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania  will  ever  be  regarded 
by  you,  I  therefore  beg  leave  to  solicit  your  favor  in  behalf  of  myself 
and  many  other  merchants  of  this  place.  Notwithstanding  the  re- 
peated attempts  of  gentlemen  in  England  to  discover  the  Northwest 
passage  without  success,  yet  there  has  appeared  among  us  a  spirit 
to  undertake  that  noble  design,  which,  if  effected,  will  redound  to 
the  honor  of  your  province,  and  to  the  advantage  of  us,  the  under- 
takers. 

By  the  enclosed  papers,  over  which  you  will  be  pleased  to  cast  your 
eye,  you  will  perceive  that  last  year  we  had  intended  to  put  our  design 


28  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

in  execution,  but  hy  the  extremity  of  the  winter  and  other  accidents  it 
was  postponed  to  the  next  year,  at  which  time,  as  we  have  bought  a 
vessel  and  all  other  material,  and  engaged  a  navigator  and  mariners 
here,  we  shall  proceed  in  the  affair  and  despatch  the  vessel  from  here 
the  latter  end  of  March,  and  are  in  great  hopes,  by  avoiding  mistakes 
of  former  attempts,  and  pursuing,  as  we  think,  more  proper  measures, 
to  be  able  to  effect  the  discovery  of  the  passage,  or,  at  least,  put  it  out 
of  doubt  whether  there  is  one  or  no.  We  have  been  the  more  encour- 
aged in  this  attempt  by  the  consideration  that,  in  case  our  search  for 
the  passage  should  be  fruitless,  we  might  strike  out  a  lucrative  trade 
with  the  coast  of  Labrador ;  but  we,  to  our  great  surprise,  are  informed 
we  are  like  to  be  deprived  of  the  proposed  trade  by  means  of  a  scoun- 
drel of  a  parson,  one  James  Sterling,  who  last  summer  took  his  passage 
to  London,  and  there  represented  the  advantage  of  the  trade  to  the 
Labrador  coast  in  such  a  light  to  Messrs.  Hanbury,  Buchanan,  and 
others,  that  it  is  said  they  have  applied  to  the  Crown  for  an  exclusive 
patent.  This  same  Sterling,  who  is  a  Church  of  England  minister  at 
Newtown,  Md.,  was  concerned  with  us  in  the  original  undertaking,  and 
subscribed  to  bear  part  of  the  expense ;  but  after  he  had,  by  frequent 
conversations,  extracted  from  the  person  we  chiefly  depend  upon  for 
executing  the  design  all  or  chief  part  of  the  intelligence  that  he  could 
give,  he  has  been  base  enough  to  endeavor  to  circumvent  us.  As  a 
proof  of  that  I  assert,  I  here  enclose  his  original  letter,  wrote  with  his 
own  hand,  to  Mr.  Benjamin  Franklin.  We  have  also  here  our  paper 
of  subscription  for  the  carrying  on  of  the  undertaking,  signed  by  the 
said  Sterling;  notwithstanding  which,  as  I  said  before,  he  made  a 
voyage  to  London,  and  for  his  discovery  and  the  proposals  he  laid 
before  the  above  gentlemen,  he  has,  though  a  parson,  been  rewarded 
with  the  collectorship  of  the  customs  at  the  head  of  the  bay.  We  con- 
ceive ourselves  very  ill  used  by  this  false  brother ;  have  therefore  pre- 
sented a  petition  to  his  majesty,  which  comes  herewith,  praying  that 
no  patent  for  an  exclusive  trade  be  granted,  which  is  humbly  sub- 
mitted to  your  consideration ;  and  I  am  desired  to  request  that  you  will 
please  to  get  it  presented  if  you  judge  it  will  answer  any  good  end. 
The  expense  attending  the  solicitation,  etc.,  I  will  take  care  of,  with 


SIR   JOHN   FRANKLIN.  29 

thanks  to  discharge.  Your  kind  interposition  in  our  behalf  will  confer 
a  favor  on  many  of  the  most  considerable  merchants  of  this  place,  and 
particularly  on  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant. 

Will.  Allen." 

Mr.  Bancroft,  in  his  "History  of  the  United  States,"  Vol.  IV., 
p.  141,  indorses  the  fact  of  the  voyages  last  named.  In  Jeftery's  vol- 
ume of  1768  will  be  found  the  statement  that  a  Captain  Taylor,  in  a 
sloop  of  about  thirty-five  tons,  was  met  with  July  9,  1753,  in  about 
latitude  56°  north,  which  sloop  had  been  fitted  out  in  Rhode  Island  to 
go  in  pursuit  of  a  northwest  passage  and,  if  not  successful,  to  come 
down  on  the  coast  of  Labrador.  . 


RENEWAL   OF  THE   SEARCH. 

The  explorations  suspended  by  the  ill-success  of  past  efforts  and 
yet  more  by  the  existence  of  the  long  period  of  the  wars  in  Europe,  were 
renewed  four  years  after  the  peace  of  1815.  Its  history  from  that 
date  is  so  closely  connected  with  the  name  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  the 
search  for  whom  occasioned  its  revival  in  the  United  States,  that  it 
will  best  evolve  itself  in  the  story  of  his  career.  The  efforts  of  Kane 
and  Hall  for  the  rescue  of  the  lost  explorer,  and  the  noble  seconding 
of  these  by  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  of  New  York,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  U.  S.  Government,  hold  a  place  among  the  deeds  of  humanity 
which  the  world  honors. 

Sir  John  Franklin,  the  youngest  of  four  sons  of  Willingham 
Franklin,  merchant,  was  born  April  16,  1786,  at  Spilsby,  Lincolnshire. 
His  father,  designing  him  for  the  church,  gave  him  a  classical  and 
mathematical  education,  but  the  first  sight  of  the  ocean  so  vividly 
excited  the  boy's  imagination  that  he  determined  to  be  a  sailor.  His 
father,  thinking  that  this  childish  caprice  would  be  cured  by  a  taste  of 
sea  life,  shipped  him  on  a  merchant  vessel  to  Lisbon,  but  on  his  return 
found  him  more  than  ever  a  lover  of  the  sea.  He  obtained  for  him  a 
midshipman's  warrant   on   the  "Polyphemus,"   of  seventy-four  guns. 


so  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

commanded  by  Captain  Lawford,  under  whom  the  young  officer  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Copenhagen,  1801. 

In  1803,  lie  was  attached  to  the  "  Investigator,"  on  the  survey  of  the 
coasts  of  New  Holland,  setting  out  on  his  return  from  which  cruise 
he  was  shipwrecked,  with  his  brother  officers  and  crew,  on  a  desolate 
sand-bank,  scarcely  four  feet  above  the  water,  and  rescued  at  the  end 
only  of  fifty  days'  suffering.  At  the  battle  of  Trafalgar,  where  he 
acted  as  signal  officer  on  the  "  Bellerophon,"  he  was  distinguished  for 
his  coolness  and  intrepidity  in  the  hours  of  greatest  danger,  when  sur- 
rounded by  the  dead  and  wounded.  The  remainder  of  his  active  ser- 
vice was  on  the  coast  of  Portugal,  on  the  Brazil  station,  and  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  His  ship  in  1808  carried  the  royal  family  of  Por- 
tugal to  Brazil,  when  forced  into  hasty  exile  from  Lisbon.  In  the  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  at  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans,  he  was  slightly  wounded  while  in  command  of  the  "  Belford's  " 
boats,  and  for  his  brilliant  conduct  in  this  action  was  made  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  "  Forth."  This  ship,  at  the  restoration  of  the  Bourbons, 
carried  the  long-exiled  Duchess  d'Angoul^me,  daughter  of  I>ouis  XVI., 
back  to  France. 

From  this  date  his  talents  were  chiefly  enlisted  in  the  field  of  Arctic 
exploration,  which  connects  itself  with  this  history.  English  efforts 
to  reach  the  Pole  and  find  the  Northwest  passage  were  about  to  be 
revived.  The  reports  made  by  Scoresby  of  the  existence  during  the 
two  preceding  years  of  open  water  to  the  extent  of  two  thousand 
square  leagues  in  the  Greenland  Sea,  between  the  seventy-fourth  and 
eightieth  degrees,  north  latitude,  with  like  reports  of  the  breaking  up 
of  the  ice  barrier  on  the  north,  excited  the  attention  of  navigators. 
The  Admiralty,  influenced  by  the  suggestions  of  Sir  John  Barrow,  and 
of  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  who,  as  a  scientific  man,  stood  high  with  the  gov- 
ernment, prepared  two  new  expeditions,  and  Sir  Joseph  Banks  desig- 
nated Franklin  as  second  in  command  of  one  of  these.  Both  expedi- 
tions were  unsuccessful,  finding,  after  reaching  the  eightieth  degree  of 
north  latitude,  in  place  of  the  open  Polar  sea,  through  which  it  was 
hoped  they  could  make  a  short  journey  to  Behring's  Strait,  an  impen- 
etrable line  of  ice.     After  their  five  months'  cruise  the  -Dorothea" 


Slli   JOHN    franklin's   LAST   EXPEDITION.  31 

aud  the  "Trent"  returned  tu  Oeptford,  October  22,  1818.  Admiral 
Beeehey,  who  had  served  with  Franklin  in  the  ■'  Trent,"  has  given  a 
vivid  account  of  the  strong  desire  of  Franklin  to  continue  the  cruise, 
even  after  the  receipt  of  very  serious  injury  to  his  ship. 

In  the  year  following,  he  left  Gravesend  on  a  merchant  ship  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  for  a  land  journey  to  the  northern  shores  of 
America,  which  he  was  to  explore  in  co-operation  with  Parry,  who  was 
despatched,  with  two  vessels,  to  Lancaster  Sound.  The  whole  north- 
ern coast  at  that  date  had  been  explored  at  but  two  isolated  points, 
the  mouths  of  the  Coppermine  and  the  McKenzie.  Accompanied  by 
Dr.  Richardson,  Midshipmen  Hood  and  Back,  and  a  few  Orkney  men, 
he  reached  York  Factory,  from  the  city  of  New  York,  August  13,  and 
thence,  by  a  journey  of  seven  hundred  niiles,  arrived  at  Fort  Cumber- 
land in  October,  and  wintered  the  first  year  on  the  Saskatchewan, 
and  the  second  on  "  the  barren  grounds  " ;  in  the  following  summer  he 
descended  the  Coppermine  River,  and  surveyed  five  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  of  the  sea-coast  eastward.  From  York  Factory  to  the  return  to 
it  by  land  and  water,  the  journey  was  one  of  five  thousand  five  hun- 
<ired  and  fifty  miles. 

In  his  second  land  expedition,  1825-27,  he  descended  the  McKenzie, 
and  traced  the  coast  line  through  thirty-seven  degrees  of  longitude  to 
near  the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  meridian.  The  English  government, 
appreciating  the  services  of  one  who,  through  great  danger  and  suf- 
fering, had  carried  these  expeditions  over  nine  thousand  miles,  and 
added  to  the  charts  twelve  hundred  miles  of  the  northern  coast-line, 
knighted  him  in  1829.  He  also  received  the  honorary  degree  of  D.C.L. 
from  the  University  of  Oxford,  was  awarded  the  great  gold  medal 
from  the  French  Geographical  Society,  and  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Academy  of  Sciences,  Paris. 

As  governor  of  Tasmania,  1836-48,  he  accomplished  much  for  the 
advancement  of  the  colony,  —  among  other  benefits  founding  the  Royal 
Society  of  Tasmania  at  Hobart-Town,  the  meetings  of  which  were  held 
in  the  Government-house,  and  the  papers  printed  at  his  ex])ense.  By  a 
singular  coincidence,  among  the  Antarctic  expeditions  visiting  the  col- 
ony he  had  occasion  to  welcome  the  "Erebus"  and  "Terror,"  the  shi]»s 


32  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

with  which  his  ov/n   name  was  afterwards  to  be  so  pathetically  con- 
nected. 

franklin's   last  EXPEDITION. 

On  his  return  to  England,  in  1844,  he  found  the  Admiralty  exercised 
on  the  subject  of  a  new  Arctic  expedition,  proposed  by  the  Royal 
Society  at  the  instance  of  Sir  John  Barrow.  He  claimed  the  com- 
mand, and  was  appointed.  On  this  occasion  the  first  lord  of  the  Admi- 
ralty had  said  to  Sir  Edward  Parry,  "  I  see  that  Franklin  is  sixty  years 
of  age ;  ought  we  to  permit  him  to  go  out  ?  "  to  which  Parry  replied, 
"He  is  the  ablest  man  I  know,  and  if  you  do  not  send  him  he  will 
certainly  die  of  despair."  Franklin  himself  said,  when  asked,  "Can 
you  not  repose  on  the  laurels  won  in  such  good  service  for  your  coun- 
try ? "  "  My  lord,  I  am  but  fifty-nine."  "  He  appeared,"  says  La  Ro- 
quette,  "  as  jealous  of  a  few  months  of  his  age,  when  it  was  a  question 
of  exposure  to  great  danger,  or  of  executing  a  work  of  difficulty  or 
suffering,  as  a  woman  would  be  of  being  thought  older  than  the  parish 
register  showed."  The  prestige  of  Arctic  service,  and  of  his  brilliant 
experiences,  brought  around  him  a  crowd  of  volunteers  for  the  new 
expedition  in  search  of  the  Northwest  passage,  and,  supported  by  a 
body  of  officers  conspicuous  for  talent  and  energy,  and  a  crew  largely 
chosen  from  the  whaling  service,  he  left  England,  in  command  of  the 
"  Erebus  "  and  "  Terror,"  May  19,  1845.  In  his  judgment,  the  solution 
of  the  problem  of  the  passage  was  now  to  connect  Parry's  furthest 
westing  of  113°  48'  22",  made  in  1819,  either  with  Behring's  Strait  or 
southward  with  Simpson's  Strait.  Franklin's  instructions  were  framed 
(in  conjunction  with  Sir  John  Barrow,  and  upon  his  own  suggestions) 
by  the  eminent  explorers  with  whom  his  former  work  had  closely  con- 
nected him.  The  experience  of  Parry  made  it  evident  that  a  fresh 
attempt  to  force  ships  through  the  heavy  ice  seen  by  him  to  the 
southwest  of  Melville  Island  would  be  futile,  as  has  since  been  fully 
proved.  On  the  other  hand,  Franklin's  surveys  of  the  north  coast  of 
America  had  long  before  satisfied  him  that  a  navigable  passage  existed 
along  it,  from  the  Fish  River  to  Behring's  Strait.  Of  the  western 
entrance  to  Simpson's  Strait  he  had  been  accustomed  to  say,  "  If  I 


LETTERS   FROM  SIR  JOHN   FRANKLIN.  33 

could  only  get  down  there  my  work  is  done ;  it  is  all  plain  sailing  to 
the  westward." 

The  expedition  of  1845  consisted  of  the  "Erebus,"  three  hundred 
and  seventy  tons,  screw,  Captain  Sir  J.  Franklin  commanding,  with 
Commander  J.  Fitz-James  and  Lieutenant  G.  Gore  ;  and  the  "  Terror," 
three  hundred  and  forty  tons,  screw.  Captain  F.  R.  M.  Crozier  and 
Lieutenant  E.  Little. 

It  comprised  in  all  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  officers  and  men, 
with  a  transport  ship  to  carry  additional  stores  to  Disco,  Greenland. 
The  "Erebus"  and  "Terror"  were  victualled  for  three  years,  and  fur- 
nished with  every  appliance  of  that  day ;  much  of  the  provisions,  how- 
ever, proving  at  a  later  date  to  have  been  of  a  quality  most  unfortu- 
nate for  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  Within  the  second  week  of 
July  the  transport  took  on  board  for  her  return  the  last  letters  ever 
received  from  officers  or  crew.     Franklin's  last  was  as  follows :  — 

"Whale  Fish  Island,  Bay  of  Disco,  11th  July,  1845. 
"  My  Dear  Sister,  —  ...  The  appearance,  dress,  and  manners  of 
the  Esquimaux  bespeak  that  care  is  taken  of  them  by  the  government. 
Several  of  them  can  read  the  Bible  with  ease,  and  I  am  told  that  when 
the  families  are  all  collected  the  children  are  obliged  to  attend  school 
daily.  I  looked  into  one  of  the  huts  arranged  with  seats  for  this  pur- 
pose. When- the  minister  comes  over  from  Disco  he  superintends  the 
school ;  at  other  times  the  children  are  taught  by  a  half-caste  Esqui- 
maux. How  delightful  it  is  to  know  that  the  gospel  is  spreading  far 
and  wide,  and  will  do  so  till  its  blessed  truths  are  disseminated 
through  the  globe.  Every  ship  in  these  days  ought  to  go  forth  to 
strange  lands  bearing  among  its  officers  a  missionary  spirit ;  and  may 
God  grant  such  a  spirit  on  board  this  ship.  It  is  my  desire  to  cultivate 
this  feeling,  and  I  am  encouraged  to  hope  we  have  among  us  some  who 
will  aid  me  in  this  duty.  We  have  divine  service  twice  on  each  Sun- 
day, and  I  never  witnessed  a  more  attentive  congregation  than  we 
have.  May  the  seed  sown  fall  upon  good  ground,  and  bring  forth 
fruit  abundantly  to  God's  honor  and  glory. 

"  Ever  your  affectionate  brother, 

John  Franklin.  * 


84  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

Two  days  before,  he  had  written,  "  I  hope  that  my  dear  wife  and 
daughter  will  not  be  anxious  if  we  should  not  return  by  the  time  they 
have  fixed  upon.  .  .  .  Without  success  in  our  object,  even  after  the 
second  winter.,  we  should  wish  to  try  some  other  channel,  should  the 
state  of  our  provisions  and  the  health  of  our  crews  justify  it." 

The  fullest  anticipations  of  success  were  indulged  in  by  officers  and 
men.  Some,  in  their  letters  home,  went  so  far  as  to  speak  of  answers 
being  directed  to  them  to  ports  on  the  Asiatic  coast.  Lieutenant  Fair- 
holme,  of  the  "  Erebus,"  wrote,  "  On  board  we  are  as  comfortable  as  it  is 
possible  to  be.  I  need  hardly  tell  you  how  much  we  are  all  delighted 
with  our  captain.  He  has,  I  am  sure,  won  not  only  the  respect,  but 
the  love  of  every  person  on  board  by  his  amiable  manner  and  kindness 
to  all ;  and  his  influence  is  always  employed  for  some  good  purpose,  both 
among  officers  and  men.  He  is  in  much  better  health  than  when  we 
left  England,  and  looks  ten  years  younger."  The  gallant  Fitz-James 
had  also  written  to  Mr.  John  Barrow,  Jr.,  "  I  am  convinced  that  he  is 
the  most  capable  of  all  men  of  commanding  an  expedition  which 
demands  profound  judgment  and  large  experience." 

From  the  date  of  these  letters  no  direct  news  from  thb  ships  was 
ever  received,  except  the  reports  of  Captains  Dannet  and  Martin,  of 
the  whalers,  "  Prince  of  Wales "  and  "  Enterprise,"  who  spoke  them, 
July  26,  of  the  same  year,  in  Melville  Bay,  north  latitude  77°  48',  east 
longitude  66°  13'.  On  that  day  "everything  was  going  on  well; 
officers  and  men  busily  shooting  the  birds  —  the  auks  —  which  sur- 
rounded them,  to  add  to  their  provision  stores,  augtueuting  these  by  a 
full  supply  for  nearly  two  years." 


RELIEF  EXPEDITIONS. 

Although  no  real  public  anxiety  as  to  the  fato  of  the  vessels  was 
felt  in  England  for  the  two  years  following,  preparations  began  to  be 
made  for  the  possible  necessity  of  succoring  the  explorers ;  and,  time 
still  passing  without  tidings,  expedition  after  expedition  was  des- 
patched in  quest,  regardless  of  cost  or  hazard,  Sir  John's  heroic  wife 
taking  in  these  such  a  part  as  to  ennoble  her  name  for  all  time.     The 


RELIEF   EXPEDITIONS. 


35 


American  explorations  of  Kane  and  Hall,  which  are  closely  connected 
with  the  object  of  these  expeditions,  are  included  in  the  following 
tables.  The  lines  of  search,  and  the  chief  localities  examined  may  be 
traced  on  cii'cum-polar  map  No.  1  (pocket).  The  tables  have  been 
arranged  to  show  that  the  search  for  Franklin  was  carried  on  by  expe- 
ditions which,  within  about  the  same  periods,  visited  the  northern 
coasts,  some  from  Behring's  Strait  and  some  from  Baffin's  Bay,  supple- 
mented by  land  explorations,  chiefly  along  the  middle  section  of  the 
continent.  The  private  expeditions  closed  the  search  (Table  IV.)  by 
McClintock's  voyage  in  the  "  Fox." 

Table  I. 

English  and  American  Expeditions  for  the  Relief  of  Sir  John  Franklin, 
1848-1859.    From  the  West  through  Behring's  Strait. 


Years. 


Vessels. 


Commanders. 


Line  of  Search  and  Coasts  Examined. 


1848-52 


1848^9 


1850-55 

1851-52 

1853 

1853 

1853 

1854 


Plover 


Herald    . 


Enterprise  . 
Investigator, 
Supply  ShiiJS. 
Dsedalus 
Atnphitrite. 
Rattlesnake, 
Diligence  . 
Triucomalee, 


Commander  Moore 
Captain  Maguire  . 


Captain  Kellett 


Captain  Collinsou 
Commander  McClure, 

Captain  Wellesley 
Captain  Frederick 
Commander  Trollojie 
Lieutenant  Elliott 
Captain  Houston  . 


f  Through  Behring's  Strait,  beyond  Point 
Barrow,  to  lat.  73"  51',  X.  long.  163^  48' 
W.,  with  a  boat  expedition  from  the 
Plover  lip  the  Mackenzie  River,  and  east 
to  Cape  Bathurst;  Mr.  R.  Sheddon  in 
his  yacht  "Nancy  Dawson"   rendering 

[  assistance. 

(  Discovered  Herald  Island,  and  visited 
I  and  named  a  i)art  of  the  land  reported 
[  by  Wrangell. 

Coast  of  North  America,  from  Behring's 
Strait  to  Dease  Strait  and  coast  of  Banks' 
Land.  Investigator  abandoned  June  3, 
1853,  in  the  Bay  of  Mercy,  on  the  north 
coast  of  Banks'  Land.  Commander 
McClure  crossed  on  the  ice  to  Dealy 
Island  to  the  Resolute  and  Intrepid,  and 
returned  across  the  Atlantic  to  England. 
Parliament  gave  £10,000  to  him  and  his 
officers. 


36 


AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE    ICE   ZONES. 


Table  II. 

From  the  East  through  Baffin's  Bay. 


Vessels. 


Coiuniaiulers. 


Line  of  Search  aud  Coasts  Examined. 


1848-49 

1849-50 
1850-51 

1850-51 


1850-51 


1852-54 


1853 


1853-55 


1854 


1855 


Enterprise   . 
Investigator, 

North  Star  . 
Supply  Skip. 

L'y  Franklin, 
Sophia     .     . 

Resolute  .  . 

Assistance  . 

Pioneer  .  . 

Intrepid  .  . 

Advance ,     . 

Rescue    .     . 


Assistance 
Resolute  . 
Pioneer  . 
Intrepid  . 
North  Star 


Phenix    .     . 
Breadalbane, 


Advance 

Phenix    . 
Talbot     , 

Release 

Arctic 


Sir  J.  C.  Ross  .     .     . 
Captain  Bird .        .     . 

Master  Saunders  .     . 

Captain  Penny  .  .     . 
Captain  Stewart    .     . 

Captain  Austin     .  . 

Captain  Ommaney  . 

Lieutenant  Osborn  . 

Lieutenant  Cator  .  . 

Lieutenant  DeHaven, 

U.S.N. 
Master  Griffin, U.S.N. 


Sir  E.  Belcher  .  . 
Captain  Kellet .  . 
Lieutenant  Osborn 
Lieut.  MoClintock 
Captain  Pulleu 


Command' r  Inglefield 
Lieutenant  Fawckner 


Dr.  Kane,  U.S.N. 


Command' r  Inglefield 
Commander  Jenkins, 

Lieutenant  Hartstene 
U.S.N. 

Lieutenant  Simms  . 
U.ii.N. 


(  North  and  west  coast  of  North  Soiiiei- 
<set;  north  shores  of  Barrow  Strait  and 
(  the  shores  of  Prince  Regent's  Inlet. 

j  Landed  provisions  on  one  of  the  Wol- 
I  laston  Islands. 

(  Coasts  of  Cornwallis  Island  and  shores 
/  of  Wellington  Channel. 

{South  coasts  of  Parry  Islands,  and  the 
passages  between  them,  north,  west,  and 
east  coast  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island  to 
long.  103-'  W.,  lat.  72°  N. 

(  First  Grinnell  expedition:  shores  of 
<  Wellington  Channel;  discovered  Grinnell 
(  Land. 

Shores  of  Wellington  Channel  and  the 
coasts  of  Melville  and  Prince  Patrick 
Islands;  the  Assistance,  Resolute,  and 
Pioneer,  and  Intrepid  abandoned  Aug. 
26,  1854;  the  Resolute  picked  up  at  sea, 
lat.  64^  40',  long.  61°  30',  Sept.  11,  1855, 
by  Capt.  James  Buddington,  of  New 
London,  Conn.,  brought  to  the  United 
States,  and  presented  to  England  by  joint 
resolution  of  United  States  Congress  of 
Aug.  28,  1856;  delivered  to  Queen  Vic- 
toria by  Connnander  Hartstene,  U.S.N. , 
Dec.  16,  of  the  same  year. 

Shores  of  Wellington  Channel;  landed 
stores  at  Cape  Riley;  returned  with  part 
of  McClure's  command ;  Lieut.  Bellot,  of 
France,  perished  in  the  ice  Aug.  17,  1853 ; 
the  ship  lost  at  Cape  Riley  Aug.  21, 1853. 

Second  Grinnell  expedition,  Smith's 
Sound,  lat,  82°  27'  N. 

Returned  to  England  from  Beechey 
Island,  with  part  of  Belcher's  and  Mc- 
Clure's command. 

Ships  sent  out  for  relief  of  Dr.  Kane; 
found  him  on  his  return  at  Lievely  or 
Godhaven,  Greenland. 


RELIEF    EXPEDITIONS. 


37 


Table  III. 

Land  Expeditions. 


1848-49  —  Sir  John  Richardson  and  Dr.  Rae  searched  the  coasts  of  North  America 
between  the  Mackenzie  and  the  Coppermine  Rivei"s.  (Dr.  Rae,  under  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  in  1846-47  made  a  voyage  of  discovery  from  Fort 
Churchill  to  the  Gulf  of  Boothia,  surveying  the  gulf  to  Fury  and  Hecla 
Strait  on  the  east,  and  Lord  Mayor's  Bay  of  Sir  James  Ross  on  the  west, 
determining  there  an  isthmus. ) 

1849  —  Dr.  Rae  reached  Cape  Krusenstern. 

1849-51  —  Lieut.  W.  J.  S.  PuUen  from  the  Plover.     (See  Table  No.  I.  for  boat  expedition. ) 

18.51  —  Dr.  Rae:  coasts  of  Wollaston  Island  and  east  coast  of  Victoria  Land,  to  lat. 
70''  N.,  long.  101^  W. 

18.53-54  —  Dr.  Rae:  coasts  of  Boothia  Isthmus;  obtained  relics  of  Franklin's  expedition. 
( Rewarded  by  vote  of  Parliament. ) 

1855  —  J.  Anderson  and  J.  G.  Stewart:  west  coast  of  Adelaide  Peninsula. 


Table  IV. 

Pkivate   Expeditions  Organized    under  Subscriptions  by  Lady  Franklin, 

Captain  Ross,  Lieutenants  McClintock,  Young,  and  others. 


Years. 


Vessels. 


Commanders. 


Line  of  Search  and  Coasts  Examined. 


1850-51 


1850 


1851-52 


1852 


1857-59 


Felix 
Mary 


Prince  Albert 


Prince  Albert '  f*P^f^"  ^f^ip^^l' 
i  Lieutenant  Bel  lot . 


Isabel. 


Fox 


f     A  portion  of  Cornwallis  Island.     (Dr. 
Sir  John  Ross  ^'  '^'  ^^'odsir,  brother  of  the  surgeon  of 

rommanderPh'illins  '    "i  ^'^^  Erebus,  in  the  whaler  Advice  ni  1849 
commander  Phillips  .       ^^^^  searched  Baffin's  Bay  and  Lancaster 

I  [  Sound. 

(Found  Barrow  Strait  and  Prince  Re- 
Somerset. 

Shores  of  Prince  Regent's  Inlet  and 
Bellot's  Strait.  Lieutenant  Bellol  of 
France  was  second  in  command. 

Westenholme,  Whale,  Smith's,  Jones', 
and  Lancaster  Sounds,  and  Baffin's  Bay. 
(Captain  Kennedy,  in  18.53,  sailed  in  the 
Isabel  for  Behring's  Strait;  voyage  aban- 
doned at  Valparaiso. ) 

Completed  survey  of  North  Somerset, 
Prince  of  Wales  Island.  Boothia,  Felix 
Peninsula,  and  King  William  Land, 
finding  many  relics  of  Franklin's  expe- 
dition, and  obtaining  at  Point  Victory 
.  the  only  record  as  yet  discovered. 


Command' r  Inglefield, 


Captain  McClintock 


This  last  expedition,  under  McClintock,  brought  from  the  cairn  at  Point  Victory,  on 
King  William  Land,  a  tin  cylinder  containing  the  record. 


38  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

The  finding  of  this  paper  and  the  expedition  itself,  were  the  result 
of  Lady  Franklin's  last  effort  to  discover  the  fate  of  her  husband. 
To  this  object  she  dedicated  all  her  available  means,  and,  aided  by 
sympathizing  friends,  had  purchased  and  fitted  out  the  "Fox,"  in 
which  McClintock  sailed.  The  paper  was  found  by  Lieut.  Hobson  in 
a  cairn  twelve  miles  from  Cape  Herschel,  and,  with  a  large  number 
of  relics  obtained  at  this  and  other  points,  it  was  deposited  in  the 
Museum  of  the  United  Service  Institution,  Whitehall  Yard.  The 
discovery  of  this  paper  first  definitely  made  known  the  fate  of  the 
party,  —  an  issue  generally  apprehended  in  England  from  the  time  of 
Rae's  discoveries  in  185-4,  for  the  relics  which  in  that  year  he  had 
brought  from  the  Eskimos  ^ere  articles  of  personal  property  of  the- 


BAROMETER  OF   FRANKLIN'S   EXPEDITION, 

Found  by  C.  F.  Hall,   ou  King  William  Land,  in  1869. 

0 

officers,  including  Sir  John  Franklin's  own  star  of  the  Order  of  Merit,, 
with  the  motto,  "-Nee  aspera  terrent"  G.  R.  IIL,  MDCCCXV. 

Notices  of  the  earlier  relics  discovered,  traces  of  the  missing  ships,, 
and  of  the  relics  afterward  recovered  from  the  Eskimos  by  Hall  and 
Schwatka,  will  appear  in  their  proper  places  in  the  Narrative.  It  will 
be  sufficient  here  to  state  the  results  of  the  expedition  and  the  accred- 
ited awards. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London, 
May  28,  1860,  the  president.  Earl  de  Grey  and  Ripon,  presenting  the- 
founder's  gold  medal  to  Lady  Franklin,  expressed  the  decision  of  the- 
Society  in  the  words :  "  It  is  now  demonstrated  that  the  '  Erebus '  and 
'  Terror '  ascended  Wellington  Channel  to  the  seventy-seventh  degree 
of  north  latitude ;  that  the  two  ships  were  navigated  round  Cornwallis 
Land,  which  was  thus  proved  to  be  an  island ;  and  that  finally,  steering 
from  Beechy  Island  to  the  southwest,  they  were,  on  the  12th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1846,  beset  in  the  ice,  in  which  they  wintered,  in  latitude 
N.  70°  5',  and  longitude  W.  98°  23',  having  reached  a  position  never 
before  or  since  attained  by  any  other  ship." 


PRANKLEN   DISCOVERS   THE   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE.  39 

"In  placing  the  'Erebus'  and  'Terror,'  in  1846,  in  this  position,  it 
is  clear  that  the  Franklin  expedition,  whose  commander,  with  others, 
had  previously  ascertained  the  existence  of  a  channel  along  the  north 
coast  of  America,  with  which  the  frozen  sea,  wherein  he  was  beset,  had 
a  direct  communication,  had,  in  a  geographical  sense,  firmly  established 
the  existence  of  a  Northwest  passage." 

At  the  same  meeting  the  Patron's  Medal  was  awarded  to  Captain 
(now  Admiral)  F.  L.  McClintock,  the  President  saying  for  the 
Society,  "All  the  devotion  of  a  Lady  Franklin,  and  the  eflforts  of 
the  British  nation,  might  well  have  failed  in  unravelling  the  fate  of 
the  '  Erebus  '  and  '  Terror,'  had  not  such  a  commander  been  selected 
for  the  '  Fox.'  " 

A  monument  costing  two  thousand  pounds,  erected  in  Waterloo 
Place,  London,  bears  the  inscription :  — 


FRANKLIN. 

To  the  Great  Navigator 

and  his  brave  Companions 

who  sacrificed  their  lives 

completing  the  Discovery  of 

The  Northwest  Passage, 

A.D.  1847-48. 

Erected  by  the  unanimous  vote 
of  Parliament. 


This  statue,  voted  by  the  nation,  was  unveiled  in  the  presence  of 
the  first  lord  of  the  admiralty.  Sir  J.  Packington,  and  of  the  distin- 
guished Arctic  explorers  and  geographers,  Collinson,  Ommaney,  Sabine, 
Murchison,  Osborn,  and  Rawlinson,  Mr.  John  Barrow,  Mr.  Arrow- 
smith,  and  others,  with  Lady  Franklin,  who  declared  the  likeness  of 
her  husband  excellent  and  characteristic.  He  is  represented  as 
informing  his  officers  and  crew  that  the  Northwest  passage  has  been 
discovered.  A  panel  represents  Crozier  reading  the  funeral  service 
over   Franklin  in  1847. 


40  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

Ill  1875  a  beautiful  monument,  ordered  by  Lady  Franklin,  who 
inspected  it  shortly  before  her  death,  was  placed  in  Westminster 
Abbey.  It  is  of  Carara  marble,  having  in  bas-relief  an  ice-bound  ship, 
and  the  inscription,  — 

"O  ye  frost  and  cold!    O  ye  ice  and  snow! 
Bless  ye  the  Lord!" 

Followed  by  Tennyson's  lines :  — 

"  Not  here:  the  white  North  has  thy  bones,  and  thou, 
Heroic  Sailor  Soul, 
An  passing  on  thy  happier  voyage  now 
Toward  no  Earthly  Pole." 

And  concluding  with  the  words :  — 

"Erected  by  his  widow,  who,  after  long  waiting,  and  sending  many  in  search  of  him, 
herself  departed  to  find  him  in  the  realms  of  life." 

The  facts  which  these  and  other  memorials  commemorate  being 
unknown,  as  has  been  said,  until  the  year  1859,  America  heartily  joined 
in  the  relief  expedition  of  1850,  to  which,  in  connection  with  subse- 
quent American  explorations,  this  narrative  now  turns. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THK    GRINNELL    EXPEDITIONS.  —  REVIVING    ARCTIC    EXPLORATION. — 

PRESIDENT  Taylor's  message  to  congress  transmitting  cor- 
respondence WITH  LADY  FRANKLIN.  —  RESOLUTION  AUTHORIZING 
THE  EXPEDITION  APPROVED  MAY  5,  1850.  —  MR.  GRINNELL's  MEMO- 
RIAL SUPPORTED  BY  CLAY,  SEWARD,  AND  PEARCE,  IN  THE  SENATE.  — 
OFFICERS  OF  THE  FIRST  EXPEDITION.  —  INSTRUCTIONS  OF  SECRETARY 
PRESTON  TO  DeHAVEN,  WHO  SAILS  FROM  NEW  YORK  MAY  22,  1850. 
—  DISPATCHES  FROM  ST.  JOHNS  AND  THE  WHALE-SHIP  ISLANDS.  — 
DeHAVEN'S  report  of  THE  GRAVES  FOUND  AT  BEECHEY  ISLAND.  — 
HE  ARRIVES  AT  GRIFFITH  ISLAND.  —  DRIFTS  NORTHWARD.  —  GEO- 
GRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES. —  EASTWARD  INTO  BAFFIN'S  BAY.  —  FREED 
FROM  THE  ICE  JUNE  10,  1851.  —  AGAIN  RELEASED,  AUG.  18.  —  SAILS 
FROM   HOLSTEINBORG,  SEPT.  6.  —  ARRIVES   AT   NEW   YORK,  SEPT.  30. 

THE  records  of  the  State  and  Navy  Departments  show  that  each 
of  these  voyages  in  search  of  Franklin  is  to  be  credited  to  the 
special  and  long-cherished  interest  of  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  of 
New  York,  who,  to  the  very  last,  entertained  a  hope  of  the  safety  of 
the  missing  navigators.  Lady  Franklin,  in  two  letters  dated  April  4 
and  December  11,  1849,  respectively,  had  addressed  President  Taylor 
soliciting  the  aid  of  the  United  States  Government  in  the  search.  In 
the  first  letter  she  expressed  her  gratification  at  the  respect  and  cour- 
tesy received  on  her  visit  to  the  United  States  three  years  previously, 
and  especially  at  the  interest  which  she  had  found  to  be  felt  in  the 
enterprise  in  which  Sir  John  was  known  to  be  engaged.  Referring 
also  in  brief  to  the  British  expeditions  sent  out  since  the  year  1847  in 
proof  that  her  own  Government  "had  not  forgotten  the  duty  to  brave 
men  sent  on  a  perilous  service,"  Lady  Franklin  adverted  to  the  fact 
that  the  Admiralty  reward  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  for  any  efficient 
assistance  had  been  offered  too  late  for  the  British  whalers,  who  had 
then   already  sailed.     She  therefore  looked  "with  more  hope  to  the 

41 


42  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE    ICE   ZONES. 

American  whalers,  both  in  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  as  competitors  for 
the  prize,  being  well  aware  of  their  strength  and  bold  spirit  of  enter- 
prise." She  added,  "  I  venture  to  look  even  beyond  these :  I  am  not 
without  hope  that  you  will  deem  it  not  unworthy  of  a  great  and  kin- 
dred nation  to  take  up  the  cause  of  humanity  which  I  plead,  in  a 
national  spirit,  and  thus  generously  make  it  your  own."  Cherishing 
the  hope  that  the  Russian  Government  would  send  out  exploring  par- 
ties from  the  Asiatic  side  of  Behring's  Strait,  she  said :  "  It  would  be 
a  noble  spectacle  to  the  world  if  three  great  nations,  possessed  of  the 
widest  empires  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  were  thus  to  unite  their  efforts 
in  the  truly  Christian  work  of  saving  their  perishing  fellow-men  from 
destruction." 

To  this  letter  the  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Clayton,  replied  for  the 
President,  that  the  appeal  was  such  as  would  strongly  enlist  the  sym- 
pathy of  the  rulers  and  the  people  of  all  portions  of  the  civilized 
world. 

"To  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  who  share  so  largely  in  the 
emotions  which  agitate  the  public  mind  of  your  own  country,  the 
name  of  Sir  John  Franklin  has  been  endeared  by  his  heroic  virtues 
and  the  sufferings  and  sacrifices  which  he  has  encountered  for  the 
benefit  of  mankind.  The  appeal  of  his  wife  and  daughter,  in  their 
distress,  has  been  borne  across  the  waters,  asking  the  assistance  of  a 
kindred  people  to  save  the  brave  men  who  embarked  in  his  unfortunate 
expedition ;  and  the  people  of  the  United  States,  who  have  watched 
with  the  deepest  interest  that  hazardous  enterprise,  will  now  respond 
to  that  appeal  by  the  expression  of  their  united  wishes  that  every 
proper  effort  may  be  made  by  this  Government  for  the  rescue  of  your 
husband  and  his  companions. 

"To  accomplish  the  objects  you  have  in  view,  the  attention  of 
American  navigators,  and  especially  of  our  whalers,  will  be  immedi- 
ately invoked.  All  the  information  in  the  possession  of  this  Govern- 
ment, to  enable  them  to  aid  in  discovering  the  missing  ships,  relieving 
their  crews,  and  restoring  them  to  their  families,  shall  be  spread  far 
and  wide  among  our  people ;  and  all  that  the  Executive  Government  of 
the  United   States,  in   the  exercise^  of  its  constitutional  powers,  can 


PRESIDENT  Taylor's  message  43 

effect   to   meet   this   requisition   on   American    enterprise,   skill,   and 
bravery,  will  be  promptly  undertaken. 

"The  hearts  of  the  American  people  will  be  deeply  touched  bv 
your  eloquent  address  to  their  chief  magistrate,  and  they  will  join  with 
you  in  an  earnest  prayer  to  Him  whose  spirit  is  on  the  waters,  that 
your  husband  and  his  companions  may  yet  be  restored  to  their  country 
and  their  friends." 

In  addition  to  the  reward  offered  by  the  Admiralty,  Lady  Franklin 
liad  herself  offered  the  sum  of  three  thousand  pounds,  or  a  proportion 
thereof,  according  to  the  services  rendered,  to  such  ship  or  ships  as 
should  afford  effectual  relief  to  any  portion  of  the  expedition.  In  her 
second  letter  of  December  11,  at  which  date  Sir  James  Ross  had 
returned  without  the  discovery  of  even  a  trace  of  the  expedition,  she 
again  appealed  to  the  President  for  his  recommendation  of  national 
assistance,  with  the  plea  that,  "  until  the  shores  and  seas  of  the  frozen 
regions  had  been  swept  in  all  directions,  or  until  some  memorial  should 
be  found  to  attest  their  fate,  neither  England,  who  sent  them  out,  nor 
even  America,  on  whose  shores  they  had  been  launched  in  a  cause 
which  had  interested  the  world  for  centuries,  would  deem  the  question 
at  rest." 

January  22,  1850,  President  Taylor,  in  a  message  to  Congress, 
transmitted  the  correspondence  which  has  been  here  named.  The 
President  said  that  he  had  anxiously  sought  the  means  of  affording 
assistance,  but  was  prevented  from  accomplishing  the  object  in  conse- 
quence of  the  want  of  vessels  suitable  to  encounter  the  perils  of  a 
proper  exploration,  the  lateness  of  the  season,  and  the  want  of  an 
appropriation.  All  he  could  do  was  to  cause  the  advertisements  of 
reward  promulgated  by  the  British  Government,  and  the  best  informa- 
tion he  could  obtain  as  to  the  means  of  finding  the  lost  ships,  to  be 
widely  circulated  among  American  whalers  and  seafaring  men.  Tlie 
propriety  and  expediency  of  an  appropriation  was  submitted  to  Con- 
gress. A  board  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  had  reported 
to  him  that  no  ships  were  ready  for  such  an  expedition  or  could  be 
equipped  in  season,  and  that  there  seemed  to  be  no  constitutional 
power  to  authorize  an  equipment. 


44  '  -  AMERICAN    EXPLOKATIONS    LtST   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

The  message  of  the  President,  referred  in  the  House  to  the  Naval 
Committee,  brought  from  the  chairman  of  that  committee,  Hon.  F.  P. 
Stanton,  a  favorable  report  in  the  form  of  a  Joint  Resolution,  by  which 
the  President  was  authorized  "  to  accept  and  attach  to  the  navy  two 
vessels  offered  by  Henry  Grinnell,  Esq.,  to  be  sent  to  the  Arctic  Seas 
in  search  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  companions,"  and  to  "  detail 
from  the  navy  such  commissioned  and  warrant-officers  and  seamen  as 
may  be  necessary  for  said  expedition,  and  who  may  be  willing  to 
engage  in  it.  The  said  officers  and  men  shall  be  furnished  with  suit- 
able rations  for  a  period  not  exceeding  three  years,  and  shall  have  the 
use  of  such  necessary  instruments  as  the  departments  can  provide. 
The  said  vessels,  officers,  and  men  shall  be  in  all  respects  under  the 
laws  and  regulations  of  the  Navy  of  the  United  States  until  their 
return,  when  the  vessels  shall  be  delivered  to  Henry  Grinnell.  Pro- 
vided that  the  United  States  shall  not  be  liable  to  any  claim  for  com- 
pensation in  case  of  the  loss,  damage,  deterioration,  use,  or  risk  of  the 
vessels." 

The  Resolution,  reported  April  25,  was  passed  by  the  House  on  the 
following  day,  and  by  the  Senate  May  1 ;  it  was  approved  by  the  Presi- 
dent May  5,  1850. 

Lady  Franklin,  on  her  visit  to  the  United  States,  had  been  the  guest 
of  Mr.  Grinnell,  whose  interest  in  Arctic  explorations  had  been  first 
aroused  by  a  letter  from  her  to  a  citizen  of  New  York,  asking  whether 
something  could  not  be  done  in  the  United  States  towards  the  rescue, 
and  had  been  increased  by  frequent  letters  subsequently  received 
from  her. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1856,  assisted  by  the  hearty  good- will  and 
personal  labors  of  Lieutenant  M.  F.  Maury,  U.S.N.,  Superintendent 
of  the  then  "National  Observatory,"  he  presented  the  following 
memorial  to  Congress :  — 

"  The  interest  felt  in  the  fate  of  the  Franklin  expedition  is  not  con- 
fined to  the  country  under  whose  flag  it  sailed.  Commerce  and  science, 
not  less  than  philanthropic  benevolence,  are  deeply  interested  in  the 
efforts  now  making  for  the  discovery  of  the  missing  navigators.  While 
so  deep  and  generous  a  sympathy  pervades  the  civilized  world  on  this 


HENRY    GRINNELL's   MEMORIAL.  45 

subject,  your  memorialist  feels  strongly  desirous  that  some  effort  be 
made  by  his  country  to  signalize  its  zeal  in  such  a  cause.  Entertaining 
a  confident  belief  in  the  safety  of  the  expedition,  and  that  the  gallant 
men  who  have  so  nobly  risked  their  lives  in  the  cause  of  geographical 
science  may  yet  be  rescued  and  restored  to  their  country  and  their 
families,  the  earnest  desire  of  your  memorialist  is  to  contribute  some- 
thing to  so  beneficial  a  result.  Moved  by  these  considerations,  he  has 
prepared  and  is  now  fitting  out  two  vessels  of  the  proper  size,  and  with 
the  needful  appointments  to  proceed  with  all  dispatch  to  the  polar 
regions. 

"  He  has  been  permitted  to  call  on  the  officers  of  the  Navy  for  vol- 
unteers to  take  charge  of  this  expedition.  This  call  has  been  answered 
with  a  zeal  and  nobleness  of  spirit  beyond  praise,  without  the  promise 
or  hope  of  reward;  Lieutenant  DeHaven,  assisted  by  Passed  Mid- 
shipman Griffin  as  second  in  command,  has  been  selected  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  expedition. 

"It  is  the  opinion  of  this  officer  and  of  others  that  it  is  of  the  first 
importance  that  the  expedition  be  placed  under  naval  laws  during  the 
term  of  its  service.  Your  memorialist,  therefore,  prays  for  the  needful 
legislation  at  an  early  date,  in  order  that  time  may  be  afforded  for  the 
necessary  action  consequent  upon  it. 

"  Your  memorialist  has  from  his  own  resources  provided  for  the 
principal  expenses  of  the  expedition.  It  would  strengthen  his  hope  of 
ultimate  success,  and  facilitate  greatly  the  object  in  view,  if  the  act  of 
Congress  should  authorize  the  word  to  be  passed  in  the  navy  for  vol- 
unteers among  the  men,  as  well  as  the  officers,  limiting  to  fifteen  the 
number  for  each  vessel.  Should  the  pay  and  naval  rations  be  deemed 
insufficient  by  the  crew,  your  memorialist  wishes  to  give  from  his  own 
purse  such  additional  sums  as  may  be  proper  and  satisfactory  to  the 
volunteers. 

"  The  two  vessels  now  purchased  and  fitting  out  are  of  ninety-one 
and  one  hundred  and  forty-four  tons'  burden  respectively.  Every 
proper  means  will  be  taken  to  insure  strength  and  durability,  and 
power  to  overcome  all  obstacles  in  the  way  of  success..  The  paramount 
inducement  to  this  expedition  on  the  part  of  your  memorialist  is  the 


46  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

rescue  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  companions,  but  he  shall  think  it 
■due  to  science  to  instruct  the  officers  in  command  to  use  all  diligence 
and  zeal  in  the  exploration  of  the  frozen  region  to  which  they  are 
bound. 

"  There  are  good  grounds  for  believing  this  to  be  a  propitious 
season  for  such  an  exploration,  and  he  shall  not  easily  relinquish  the 
hope  of  his  being  in  some  degree  instrumental  in  solving  the  long- 
disputed  question  of  the  Northwest  passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific. 

"  Hoping  that  your  honorable  body  will  give  the  subject  an  early 
and  favorable  consideration,  your  memorialist  will  ever  pray,  etc. 

,  (Signed)  "Henry  Grinnell." 

Henry  Clay,  in  presenting  the  memorial,  which  secured  the  passage 
of  this  resolution,  said  of  Mr.  Grinnell,  "  I  am  proud  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  mercantile  classes  of  our  country  administer  in  all  great 
enterprises  the  wealth  which  they  have  acquired  in  the  pursuit  of 
business.  Among  the  most  eminent  of  these  merchants  stands  the 
gentleman  whose  petition  I  present. 

"  I  am  very  much  afraid  that  the  unfortunate  person  and  his  com- 
panions whose  fate  Mr.  Grinnell  and  the  world  are  so  anxious  to  learn 
will  be  found  to  be  no  more.  But  if  the  enterprise  should  fail  to  dis- 
cover their  existence,  or  even  their  fate,  the  attempt  will  be  gratifying 
to  the  whole  world ;  and  if  nothing  whatever  is  discovered  in  respect 
of  them,  useful  discoveries  may  be  made,  which  will  add  to  the  amount 
of  information  we  possess,  and  amply  repay  any  expenditure  that  may 
be  incurred  by  our  granting  the  prayer  of  the  petitioner." 

To  the  objections  made  by  Senators  King  and  Foote,  that  it  is 
inconsistent  with  the  dignity  of  the  Government  to  mix  itself  up  thus 
with  a  private  enterprise,  and  that  it  would  be  better  for  the  United 
States  to  send  out  its  own  expedition,  it  was  replied  by  Senators  Mil- 
ler and  Seward  that,  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  season,  this  was  not 
practicable,  and  that  the  vessels  would  become  national  vessels  for  the 
time  in  which  they  would  be  engaged,  naval  discipline  being  asked  for 
by  the  memorialist  as  a  necessity ;  further,  that  all  our  enterprises  are 


THE   "advance"   and  THE   "RESCUE."  47 

more  or  less  carried  into  execution,  not  by  the  direct  §«tion  of  the 
Oovernment,  but  by  lending  its  aid  and  countenance  to  individuals, 
corporations,  states,  colleges,  or  universities. 

To  the  objection  raised  by  Senator  Jefferson  Davis,  that  it  is  im- 
proper to  appropriate  money  for  the  purpose,  of  the  error  of  which 
opinion  he  said  he  "  could  only  be  convinced  by  its  being  shown  that 
this  Government  is  not  a  corporation  formed  hy  the  States,  with  limited 
powers  and  for  specific  purposes,"  no  reply  appears  to  have  been  made. 


Sailing  of  the  First  Expedition,  May  22,  1850. 

On  the  15th  of  May,  1850,  Secretary  Preston  gave  to  Lieutenant 
DeHaven  his  instructions.  The  lieutenant,  in  expectation  of  the 
passage  of  the  resolution  by  Congress,  had  been  in  New  York  for  sev- 
eral weeks,  and  had  been  closely  occupied  in  fitting  out  the  two  ships 
offered  by  Mr.  Grinnell.  The  expedition  consisted  of  the  brigantines 
*' Advance,"  144  tons,  and  the  "Rescue,"  of  91  tons  burden.  It  was 
the  opinion  of  experienced  officers  that  vessels  of  about  these  dimen- 
sions, drawing  not  above  ten  feet  of  water,  would  answer  as  well  as 
larger  ships  the  purpose  of  a  careful  search.  They  were  officered  as 
below :  — 

'''■Advance.^^ 

Lieutenant  Edward  J.  DeHaven,  commanding  the  expedition. 

Passed  Midshipman  William  H.  Murdaugh,  first  officer 

Midshipman  William  J.  Lovell,  second  officer. 

E.  K.  Kane,  M.D.,  passed  assistant-surgeon. 

''''Rescue.'''' 
Acting  Master  Samuel  P.  Griffin,  commanding. 
Passed  Midshipman  Robert  R.  Carter,  acting  master  and  first  officer. 
Boatswain,  Henry  Brooks,  second  officer. 
Benjamin  Vreeland,  M.D.,  assistant-surgeon.* 

•  Offiueks'  Record.  —  E.  J.  DeHaven  entered  the  navy  as  midshipman,  Oct.  2, 
1829;  promoted  to  be  passed  midshipman,  July  .3,  1835;  lieutenant.  Sept,  8,  1841;  retired, 
Peb.  6,  1861;  died,  May  1,  1865.     Samuel  P.  Griffin  entered  the  service  as  midshipman, 


48  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   JCE   ZONES. 

Lieut.  DeHaven  had  seen  nearly  twenty  years'  naval  service,  and 
had  passed  through  something  of  a  like  experience  with  that  seemingly 
now  before  liini  when  in  command  of  the  "  Fljdng  Fish,"  one  of  the 
vessels  of  the  United  States  exploring  expedition  of  1838,  in  the 
Antarctic  Ocean,  under  Lieut,  (late  Admiral}  Wilkes. 

In  the  instructions  from  the  Navy  Department  for  the  expedition. 
Secretary  Preston  suggested  as  the  outline  of  its  course  that  the  ships, 
after  passing  B9,rrow's  Straits,  should  turn  their  attention  northward 
to  Wellington  Channel,  and  westward  to  Cape  Walker,  and  should 
then  be  governed  by  circumstances,  —  sailing  either  in  concert  or  sepa- 
rately. They  were  to  enter  and  search  every  headland,  promontory, 
and  conspicuous  point  for  signs  or  records  of  the  missing  party ;  but 
on  no  account  was  the  safety  of  officers  or  ships  to  be  hazarded  by 
unnecessary  exposure.  Should  Lieutenant  DeHaven  find  it  impossible 
to  reach  Barrow's  Straits,  he  was  to  turn  his  attention  to  Jones'  and 
Smith's  Sounds ;  and  if  these  were  found  to  be  either  closed  or  impen- 
etrable, and  he  should  fail  to  secure  any  trace  of  the  missing  expedi- 
tion, he  must  return  to  New  York,  as  the  season  would  probably  be 
then  too  far  advanced  for  any  further  attempt  to  be  made.  A  like 
provision  for  avoiding  a  second  winter  in  the  Arctic  regions  in- 
structed him  that,  if  after  entering  the  strait  he  should  be  unable 
to  penetrate  sufficiently  far  into  the  unexplored  regions  to  gain  a 
position  from  which  operations  could  be  favorably  commenced  in 
the  season  of  1851,  he  was  to  endeavor  to  escape  from  the  ice,  and 
return. 


Sept.  9,  1841;  promoted  to  be  passed  midshipman,  Aug.  10,  1847.  William  Murdaugh 
entered  the  service  as  midshipman,  Sept.  9,  1841;  promoted  to  be  passed  midshipman, 
Aug.  10,  1847;  master,  Sept,  14,  18.55;  lieutenant,  Sept.  16,  1855;  resigned,  April,  1861. 
William  J.  Lovell  entered  the  service  as  midshipman,  Nov.  8,  1847;  promoted  to  be 
passed  midshipman,  June,  185.3;  master,  Sept.  15,  1855;  lieutenant,  Sept.  16,  1855;  re- 
signed, May  3,  1859.  R.  R.  Carter  entered  the  service  as  midshipman,  March  30,  1842; 
promoted  to  be  passed  midshipman,  Aug.  15,  1848;  master,  Sept.  15,  18.55;  lieutenant, 
Sept.  16,  18.55;  resigned.  May,  1861.  Dr.  E.  K.  Kane  entered  the  service  as  assistant- 
surgeon,  July  21,  1843;  promoted  to  be  passed  assistant-surgeon,  Sept.  14,  1848;  died  in 
Havana,  Feb.  16,  1857.  Dr.  B.  Vreeland  entered  the  service  as  assistant-surgeon.  May 
9,  ia50;  promoted  to  be  passed  assistant-surgeon,  Marcli  30,  1857;  surgeon,  April  26, 
1861;  died,  March  26,  1866. 


,  d^haven's  instructions.  49 

The  chief  object  of  the  expedition  —  the  search  for  Sir  John 
Franklin  —  required  that  for  this  he  should  use  all  diligence,  and  make 
every  exertion,  offering  assistance,  and  communicating  his  plans  and 
route  to  any  British  parties  engaged  in  a  like  search  whom  he  might 
meet. 

He  was,  however,  to  pay  attention  to  subjects  of  scientific  inquiry, 
but  not  to  allow  such  attention  to  interfere  with  the  main  object. 
In  view  of  the  facts  elicited  by  Lieutenant  Maury  in  support  of 
the  theory  of  a  Polynia,  or  "open  sea,"  beyond  the  icy  barrier, 
in  which  investigation  Lieutenant  DeHaven  had  shared,  his  instruc- 
tions had  in  view  the  hope  of  an  entrance  into  that  basin.  And  should 
he  possibly  penetrate  beyond  the  barrier  so  far  as  to  make  it  more  pru- 
dent to  go  on  than  to  turn  back,  he  was  to  push  forward  and  put  him- 
self in  communication  with  any  of  the  United  States  forces  serving  in 
the  waters  of  the  Pacific,  or  in  China.  The  officers  there  stationed 
were  instructed  to  be  ready,  in  such  event,  to  offer  to  him  every 
facility.  Notwithstanding  his  instructions  on  these  and  other  points, 
DeHaven  was  permitted  to  depart  from  them,  if  on  arriving  out  he 
should  find  that  by  so  doing  his  search  would  probably  be  more 
effectual. 

At  the  Brooklyn  navy-yard  the  expedition  received  every  aid  in  the 
way  of  equipment  usually  furnished  from  special  naval  stores,  and  in 
addition  Mr.  Grinnell  provided  far  more  for  the  object  and  comforts  of 
the  expedition  than  was  asked  for  by  its  officers.  The  vessels  them- 
selves Dr.  Kane  has  described  as,  perhaps,  more  thoroughly  adapted  for 
Arctic  service  than  any  previously  fitted  out.  The  hull  was  doiible,  a 
brig  within  a  brig,  an  outer  oak  sheathing  of  two  and  a  half  inches 
being  covered  with  a  second  of  the  same  material,  strips  of  heavy  sheet- 
iron  extending  from  bow  to  beam.  The  decks  were  double,  and  made 
water-tight  by  an  interlined  packing  of  tarred  felt,  and  the  entire  inte- 
rior was  ceiled  with  cork. 

"  Forward,  from  kelson  to  deck,  was  a  mass  of  solid  timber  for  seven 
feet  from  the  cutwater;  and  to  prevent  the  ice  from  forcing  in  her 
sides,  an  extra  set  of  beams  ran  athwart  her  length  at  intervals  of  four 
feet,  so  arranged  as  to  ship  or  unship.     From  the  Samson-posts,  shores 


50  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

diverged  in  every  direction,  with  as  many  hanging  and  oblique  oaken 
knees  as  the  space  permitted.  The  rudder  could  be  taken  on  board 
and  replaced  again  in  four  minutes.  In  all  respects,  everything 
about  the  two  vessels  bore  the  marks  of  intelligent  foresight  and 
unsparing  expenditure." 

Of  the  nautical  equipment,  the  chronometers  were  especially  ap- 
proved ;  several  of  them  having  been  carefully  tested  at  the  Observa- 
tory, one  under  charge  of  Passed  Midshipman  Murdaugh  varying  on 
the  cruise,  from  May  18,  1850,  to  October  3,  1851,  10  min.  45  sec.  By 
the  aid  of  Professor  Loomis,  Kane  had  collected  some  instruments  for 
thermal  and  magnetic  registration  ;  his  private  journal  furnishes  a 
meteorological  abstract  of  more  than  thirty  pages  for  his  narrative 
of  the  expedition.  The  two  ships  left  the  navy-yard  May  22,  crowds 
upon  the  wharves,  and  cheers  from  ferry-boats,  steamers,  and  ships 
showing  the  popular  sympathy  until  the  "Battery  was  passed.  Off 
Sanc'y  Hook  friends  on  board  left  for  home,  Mr.  Grinnell  and  his 
sons  continuing  to  bear  company  with  the  ships  in  a  pilot-boat  to 
a  point  reached  on  the  25th,  seventy-five  miles  further  east. 

The  commander  said,  in  his  farewell  report  to  the  Department,  that 
all  were  well,  and  seemingly  inspired  with  the  right  spirit  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  expedition.  Officers  and  crews  were  volunteers ;  and  it  is 
to  their  lasting  credit  that  the  late  Admiral  Sherard  Osborn,  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  of  British  Arctic  navigators,  should  have  been 
able  to  say,  "  I  was  charmed  to  hear  that  before  sailing,  officers  and 
men  had  signed  a  bond  not  to  claim,  under  any  circumstances,  the 
£20,000  reward  which  the  British  government  had  offered.  We,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  had  acted  differently."  The  "Advance"  reached  St. 
Johns,  Newfoundland,  June  8,  and  DeHaven  reported  that  the  east 
winds  and  several  gales  had  occasioned  slow  progress;  he  had  not 
unwillingly  parted  with  the  "  Rescue,"  whose  slower  sailing  qualities 
had  additionally  detained  him.  The  Whale-fish  Islands  were  to  be  the 
rendezvous.  Arriving  at  these  on  the  29th,  he  reported  that  on  the 
east  coast  of  Newfoundland  many  icebergs  had  been  met,  in  striking 
against  one  of  which,  in  lat.  49°  3',  the  "  Advance "  had  lost  a  jib- 
boom.     From  that  date  he  had  a  clear  sea  within  one  hundred  miles  of 


Kane's  early  life.  51 

the  islands ;  the  "  Rescue,"  by  steering  further  east,  had  seen  but  few 
icebergs. 

From  the  islands,  officers  and  men  once  more  sent  home  their  letters 
by  the  storeship  of  Commodore  Austin's  squadron  there,  out  in  the 
search;  their  next  and  last  were  sent  from  Port  Leopold,  Beechey 
Island,  August  23,  no  further  opportunity  offering  until  their  return  to 
New  York,  October  4,  1851. 

The  history  of  the  expedition  from  the  date  of  August  29  appears 
in  the  report  of  the  commander,  made  on  his  return,  and  more  in 
detail  in  Dr.  Kane's  narrative  of  the  first  United  States  Grinnell  expe- 
dition. To  Dr.  Kane  the  world  is  indebted  for  the  graphic  history  of 
each  expedition,  as  well  as  for  his  brilliant  services  in  both.  His  sin- 
gular qualifications  for  each  calling  are  best  referred  to  in  the  following 
brief  sketch,  drawn  chiefly  from  his  biography,  written  by  Dr.  William 
Elder,  of  Philadelphia. 

Born  in  Philadelphia,  February  20, 1820,  he  early  developed  a  frame 
fitted  for  athletic  exercises,  but  showed  tendencies  to  disease  which, 
it  will  be  seen,  manifested  themselves  throughout  his  whole  life  to 
a  degree  which  would  have  shut  out  from  active  duty  any  one  not 
exercising  the  iron  will  exhibited. 

Seemingly  unappreciative  of  the  value  of  systematic  study  until 
his  sixteenth  year,  he  then  distinguished  himself  at  the  University  of 
A'irginia  by  his  pursuit  of  an  elective  course  in  the  natural  sciences, 
and,  during  the  short  period  which  his  health  permitted,  aided  Pro- 
fessor Rogers  in  his  investigation  of  the  geology  of  the  Blue  Mountain 
range.  A  long  and  severe  illness  caused  him  to  withdraw  from  the 
imiversity,  but  on  his  recovery  he  entered  on  the  study  of  medicine 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  graduating  at  the  head  of  his 
class  in  his  twentieth  year,  with  the  honor  of  having  his  theme,  on  a 
special  subject  in  medicine,  requested  for  publication  by  the  Faculty. 

Dr.  Kane  entered  the  naval  service  July  21,  1843,  and  in  the  same 
year  sailed  on  board  the  United  States  frigate   '  Brandywine,'  Com 
modore  Parker,  as  sui'geon  to  the  United  States  embassy  to  China, 
under  the  late  Mr.  Caleb  Cushing.     Touching  at  Rio  Janeiro,  he  had 
the  opportunity  of  examining  the  geological  character  of  the  eastern 


62  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Andes,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the  ship  at  Bombay,  of  visiting  the 
famous  caverned  temples  of  Elephanta,  and  of  crossing  the  Ghauts  at 
Kandalah,  and  exploring  the  cave  temples  of  Karli,  passing  thence  to 
Ceylon. 

He  remained  in  connection  with  the  embassy  until  the  close  of  its 
work  by  the  treaty  of  July,  1844,  and  then,  procuring  a  substitute, 
crossed  to  the  Philippines,  traversed  the  island  of  Luzon  from  Manilla 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  descended  the  volcano  of  Tael  —  a  feat  but 
once  before  attempted  by  ;'  foreigner,  and  then  without  success.  By 
this  descent  he  subjected  ]  imself  to  an  encounter  with  the  natives, 
who  considered  it  a  profana.'on. 

After  three  and  a  half  years'  private  practice  as  surgeon  at 
Whampoa,  on  his  recovery  from  the  rice  fever,  he  sailed  in  January, 
1845,  for'  Singapore,  and  thence  for  Alexandria,  visiting  some  of  the 
wonders  of  Egypt.  He  was  seized  with  the  plague,  on  recovering  from 
which  he  made  a  restorative  foot  journey  in  Greece,  and  later  exam- 
ined the  glaciers  of  the  Alps  of  Switzerland,  to  which  he  afterward 
had  occasion  to  make  frequent  references  in  his  ice  theories  of  the 
Arctic  regions. 

In  May  following  he  was  again  on  board  ship,  under  orders  for 
the  coast  of  Africa,  on  which  voyage  —  although,  when  the  fever  had 
broken  out  on  board,  he  had  written  of  his  good  health  —  he  was 
stricken  down,  and  sent  home  invalided  by  Dr.  Dillard,  the  surgeon 
of  the  fleet. 

When  convalescent,  he  was  an  early  applicant  for  duty  in  Mexico. 
The  war  between  the  United  States  and  that  country  had  witnessed 
the  surrender  of  the  capital.  Dr.  Kane  was  selected  by  President 
Polk  to  be  the  bearer  of  an  oral  dispatch  to  the  general-in-chief,  which 
had  three  times  failed  in  its  delivery  from  the  War  Department.  He 
was  ordered  also  to  make  special  investigations  of  facts  relating  to  the 
field  and  hospital  organizations  of  the  American  army  for  the  War 
Department. 

Threading  his  way  through  the  Mexican  country,  he  received  a 
severe  lance  wound  in  an  encounter  with  a  party  of  Mexicans,  from 
the  effect  of  which  he  lay  ill  until  July  following  in  Philadelphia,     In 


ORDERS   TO   DR.   KANE.  53 

February,  1849,  lie  was  again  on  naval  service  on  board  the  storeship 
"  Supply,"  and  returned  to  Philadelphia  from  the  Mediterranean  in 
September.  His  next  service,  the  year  following,  was  again  on  the 
Mexican  coast,  on  duty  for  the  United  States  Coast  Survey. 

His  application  for  duty  on  the  first  Grinnell  expedition  was  long 
unanswered,  probably  from  the  record  of  his  past  frequent  severe  ill- 
nesses ;  but,  at  the  moment  of  entire  despondency,  he  was  placed 
under  orders,  in  the  manner  which  he  himself  best  describes  as  fol- 
lows :  "  On  the  12th  of  May  I  received  one  of  those  courteous  little 
epistles  from  Washington,  which  the  electric  telegraph  has  made  so 
familiar  to  naval  officers.  It  detached  me  from  the  Coast  Survey,  and 
ordered  me  to  proceed  forthwith  to  New  York,  for  duty  on  the  Arctic 
expedition.  Seven  and  a  half  days  later  I  had  accomplished  my  over- 
land journey  of  thirteen  hundred  miles,  and  in  forty  hours  more  our 
squadron  was  beyond  the  limits  of  the  United  States.  The  Depart- 
ment had  calculated  my  travelling  time  to  a  nicety."  It  was  certainly 
the  exhibition  .of  most  exceptional  characteristics,  that  one  who  had 
the  ever-present  consciousness  of  liability  to  prostration  by  disease 
should  apply  for  and  enter  with  such  alacrity  on  duty  within  the  rigors 
of  the  Arctic  zone.  But  it  was  a  service  congenial  to  his  nature,  and 
in  keeping  with  his  varied  experiences  in  other  regions.  ,  His  future 
records  will  show  with  what  skill  he  turned  all  those  experiences  to 
good  account,  applying  the  resources  gained  from  the  natural  sciences, 
and  from  explorations  in  other  zones,  to  the  widely  different  life  on 
which  he  now  entered. 

June  17,  1850,  when  the  ships  drew  near  Davis'  Straits,  they  found 
themselves  near  Cape  Farewell  on  the  east,  and  Frobisher's  Meta 
Incognita  on  the  American  side.  The  Arctic  days  began,  the  ther- 
mometer being  read  at  night  without  a  lantern,  and  the  sun  setting  at 
ten,  to  rise  again  before  two.  On  the  24th  the  sun  did  not  pass  below 
the  horizon.  The  words  night  and  day  began  to  be  meaningless,  and 
the  soothing  influence  of  darkness  was  missed  at  the  bed-hour.  But 
the  regular  calls  for  rising  and  for  meals  were  steadily  observed.  In 
common  with  all  others  resident  or  voyaging  in  the  Arctic  regions, 


64  '    AJVIEKICAN   EXPLOKATIONS    IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

oflBcers  and  crew  now  found  within  themselves  the  power  of  adapta- 
tion to  their  new  circumstances ;  without  this  power,  light  and  dark- 
ness during  the  periods  of  the  zone  could  not  be  endured. 

From  the  Whale-fish  Islands  the  passage  to  Lancaster  Sound  was  to 
be  made  by  one  of  the  three  crossings,  —  the  south,  the  middle,  or  the 
northern. 

By  the  first  of  these,  vessels  reach  the  American  side  south  of  68°. 
It  is  but  the  alternative  for  whalers  when  failing  to  cross  the 
North  Water.  Attempts  of  the  middle  passage  are  rare.  In  1819, 
Parry  first  crossed  it  in  seven  days,  but,  on  repeating  the  experiment, 
July,  1824,  was  forced  to  turn  northward,  and  did  not  reach  the  open 
water  till  September.  The  north  passage  passes  westward  from  the 
ice  of  Melville  Bay,  through  a  comparatively  oj)en  area,  known  as  the 
North  Water,  and  through  this,  ships  generally  reach  the  highway  of 
Arctic  search.  This  crossing  was  now  the  object  of  the  expedition. 
The  bay  itself,  ice-clogged  and  full  of  danger,  had  been,  since  its 
opening  in  1819,  the  scene  of  the  loss  of  two  hundred,  and  ten  ships. 

The  time  for  reaching  the  North  Water  varies,  as  DeHaven  well 
knew,  with  the  season.  Parry's  delay  was  to  be  contrasted  with  that 
of  the  five  days  of  Sir  John  Ross  in  1829 ;  Austin,  now  out  in  the 
search,  was  found  to  have  been  kept  back  forty-five  days ;  and  it  may 
be  mentioned  here  that  eight  years  afterwards,  McClintock,  in  the 
"  Fox,"  passed  a  dreary  winter  in  the  pack.  "  Nothing,"  he  said,  "  is 
more  uncertain  than  ice  navigation ;  one  can  only  calculate  upon  the 
chances."  Avoiding  the  middle  passage,  on  the  6th  of  July  DeHaven 
was  in  lat.  72°  54',  beating  to  windward,  between  the  pack  and  the 
land;  on  the  8th  he  was  boring  and  sometimes  warping  —  "help- 
lessly fast."  After  an  imprisonment  of  twenty-one  days,  during  which 
he  had  made  an  average  northern  progress  of  about  a  mile  a  day,  a 
steady  north  and  northwest  breeze  began  to  relax  the  ice,  and  on  the 
10th  of  August  he  was  crossing  Melville  Bay.  Midday  gave  them  the 
warm  skies  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  on  the  18th  the  expedition 
reached  its  most  northern  point  in  Baffin's  Bay,  latitude  76°  25',  the 
next  day  entering  Lancaster  Sound.  Crowding  all  sail  for  Port  Leo- 
pold, Beechey  Island,  they  now  had  the  pleasant  sight  of  two  of  the 


EN   THE  NORTH   WATER. 


55 


relief  ships  of  that  year,  the  "  Felix,"  Sir  John  Ross,  and  the  "  Prince 
Albert,"  Captain  Forsyth,  In  concert  with  these  officers,  the  first 
traces  of  the  missing  ships  were  now  found. 

From  Port  Leopold,  DeHaven  reported  to  the  Department  that  he 
had  found  little  difficulty  in  forcing  his  way  to  that  point  until  he  had 
reached  latitude  74°,  where  the  ice  had  closed,  and  was  continuous 
along  the  land,  so  that  northward  progress  was  barred,  while  a  clear 
and  wide  opening  to  the  west  tempted  his  course  in  that  direction. 
After  a  run  of  forty  miles,  however,  the  ships  were  wedged,  and 
remained  so  till  July 
29,  when  the  ice  sud- 
denly opening,  and  a 
southeast  wind  spring- 
ing up,  tl'.ey  forced 
their  way  into  clear 
water,  and,  after  an- 
other detention  in  lat- 
itude 75°,  longitude 
60°,  pushed  on  to  Cape 
York,  and  on  the  19th 
of  August  were  in  the 
North  WatcF.  Meet- 
ing soon  after  Captain 
Penny's  ships,  he  re- 
solved to  touch  at  Port  Leopold  with  them.  Here  he  met  with  an 
unexpected  discovery. 

In  his  final  report  he  says :  "  On  the  25th  of  August,  1850,  off  Cape 
Riley,  the  '  Advance '  was  hove  to,  and  a  boat  sent  ashore  to  examine 
a  cairn  erected  in  a  conspicuous  position.  It  was  found  to  contain  a 
record  of  H.B.M.  ship  'Assistance,'  deposited  the  day  before,  con- 
taining the  information  that  Captain  Ommaney,  R.N.,  had  discovered 
traces  of  an  encampment,  and  other  indications  of  a  camping-ground 
of  some  civilized  or  hunting  party.  Fragments  of  painted  wood  and 
preserved-meat  cans  were  also  picked  up  on  the  low  point  of  the 
Cape.      Our   speculations   at   once    connected    them  with   the    object 


THE    CROW  S    NKST. 


56  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

of  our  search.  Captain  Griffin,  of  the  '  Rescue,'  had  shared  in  these 
discoveries." 

Of  these  traces  Kane  says,  that  although  they  were  meagre  indica- 
tions, the  conclusion  they  led  to  was  irresistible.  Bird-bones  and  the 
rib  of  a  seal  were  found  in  a  centre,  around  which  a  party  seemed  to 
have  sat  eating,  and  with  the  tins  were  other  relics,  such  as  pieces  of  a 
garment,  and  parts  of  a  boat,  apparently  collected  for  kindling  wood. 
These  could  not  have  been  the  work  of  Eskimos,  and  Parry,  the  only 
European  who  before  this  had  visited  the  Cape,  had  not  encamped 
here.  The  indications  were  those  of  a  land  party  from  Franklin's 
squadron. 

DeHaven  pressed  onward  along  the  eastern  shore  of  Wellington 
Channel.  Passing  Beechey  Island,  and  running  through  a  narrow  lead, 
he  found  the  ice  above  Point  Innes  fixed  and  unbroken  from  shore  to 
shore — generally  eight  feet  thick,  the  sharp,  angular  hummocks  rounded 
down  by  the  action  of  the  weather.  Further  progress  to  the  north 
was  out  of  the  question.  Returning  to  Point  Innes  for  security  until  a 
favorable  change  should  take  place,  he  found  himself,  on  the  27th,  in 
company  with  two  English  commands  —  Sir  John  Ross's  and  Penny's. 

Captain  Penny,  in  company  with  Dr.  Goodsir,  brother  of  an  assist- 
ant-surgeon on  board  the  missing  vessels,  here  reported  that  they  had 
foundf  between  Caj^  Spencer  and  Port  Innes,  scraps  of  newspaper  of 
the  date  of  1844,  with  other  paper  fragments  bearing  the  name  of  an 
officer,  and  other  small  articles  of  personal  wear.  Consulting  with 
Ross  and  Penny,  a  joint  search  was  then  instituted  along  shore  in  all 
directions.  In  a  short  time  one  of  Penny's  men  reported  the  discovery 
of  graves,  and  the  commanders,  DeHaven,  Penny,  and  Phillips,  joined 
by  a  party  from  the  "  Rescue,"  after  a  weary  walk,  found  the  three 
memorials  which  follow.  They  were  painted  headboards,  with  inscrip- 
tic  ns  cut  by  the  chisel :  — 

"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of 

W.  Braine,  R.M., 

H.M.S.  Erebus. 

Died,  April  3,  1846, 

aged  32  years. 

'Choose  ye  this  day  wliom  ye  will  serve.'  —  Joshua  ch.  xxiv.  15. 


thj:  three  graves.  57 

^  "  Sacred  to  the  memory  of 

John  Haktnell,  A.B.,  of  H.M.S. 

Ekebus, 

aged  23  years. 

'Thus  saith  the  Lord,  consider  your  ways.'  —  Haggai  ii.  7. 

"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of 

John  Torrington, 

who  departed  this  life,  Jan'y  1,  a.d.  1840, 

on  board  of 

H.M.  Ship  Terror,* 

aged  29  years." 

These  sad  memorials,  with  a  series  of  mounds  filled  with  fragment- 
ary remains  (some  of  them  written  astronomical  and  other  notes), 
and  especially  rows  of  six  hundred  preserved-meat  cans,  proved  be- 
yond dispute  that  the  missing  ships  had  made  some  stay  here.  The 
cans  had  been  emptied,  and  filled  with  limestone  pebbles,  probably  to 
serve  as  ballast  on  boating  expeditions.  At  Cape  Riley  and  Beechey, 
another  cairn,  found  in  a  conspicuous  position,  was  dug  round  in  every 
direction,  and  between  the  hills,  which  come  down  towards  Beechey 
Island,  the  searching  parties  of  the  "  Rescue,"  and  Mr.  Murdaugh  of 
the  "Advance,"  found  the  tracks  of  a  sledge  clearly  defined,  and  unmis- 
takable, both  as  to  character  and  direction,  pointing  to  the  eastern 
shores  of  Wellington  Sound.  Additional  proofs  of  Franklin  having 
organized  sledge  parties  were  found  in  the  tracks  of  sledge  runners 

*  In  1858  Lieutenant  McClintock  placed  here  a  marble  tablet,  which  had  been  con- 
structed in  New  York,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Grinnell,  by  request  of  Lady  Franklin, 
and  which  Captain  Ilartstene,  U.S.N.,  in  1855,  had  been  unable  to  take  to  this  place.  A 
small  tablet  is  also  to  be  found  here,  sent  out  by  Mr.  John  Barrow,  in  memory  of  Lieu- 
tenant Bellot,  of  France,  who  went  out  as  volunteer  in  the  English  expedition  of  1853, 
and  perished  in  the  ice.     Lady  Franklin's  monument  reads  :  — 

"Franklin,  ' 

Crozier,  Fitzjames, 

and  all  their 

gallant  brother  officers,  and  faithful 

oompanions  who  have  suffered  and  perished 

in  the  cause  of  science,  and  the 

service  of  their  country, 

THIS  TABLET 

is  erected  near  the  spot  where 

they  pa.ssed  their  first  Arctic 

winter,  and  whence  they  issued 

forth  to  conquer  difficulties  or 

TO  DIE." 


58 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


still  visible  in  the  limestone  crust  and  upon  snow-slopes;  on  which 
Kane  remarks,  "■  It  was  startling  to  see  the  evidences  of  a  travel  nearly 
six  years  old  preserved  in  intaglio  on  so  perishable  a  material.  The 
alternations  of  congelation  and  thaw  give  to  the  Arctic  snows  at  times 
an  ice-like  durability,  but  these  traces  liad  been  covered  by  the  after- 
snows  of  five  winters." 

These  few  memorials  of  the  navigators,  so  long  lost  to  history,  were 
all  that  told  of  them.     Xot  a  written  memorandum  could  l)e  found, 

or  a  pointing 
cross,  or  even 
the  vaguest  in- 
timation of  the 
intentions  en- 
tertained by 
Franklin  when 
at  this  point. 
His  route  was 
to  be  learned 
only  from  the 
explorations  to 
be  made  at  a 
much  later  date 
by  McClintock. 
The  world  can 
never  know  anything  of  the  written  notices  which,  according  to  his 
instructions,  Franklin  was  to  deposit  at  this  place. 

From  the  date  of  these  most  interesting  discoveries  Dellaven 
endeavored  to  pnsh  westward  and  northward,  reaching  Barlow's  Inlet 
September  4,  and  passing  through  a  lead  along  the  south  side  of  Corn- 
wallis  Island,  where  the  English  searching  vessels  were  descried,  fast 
in  the  ice.  This  western  lead,  however,  closing,  he  was  also  compelled 
to  make  fast,  and  the  ice  being  exceedingly  unfavorable  for  further 
progress,  and  the  season  far  advanced,  after  consultation  with  the  com- 
mander of  the  "  Rescue,"  he  decided  that  according  to  his  instructions, 
as  they  "  had  not  gained  a  point  from  which  advantageous  operations 


Z/luiitilitf.  ^,,  ^\>_ 


THE   THREE   GRAVES. 


THE  SHIPS   BESET.  59 

could  be  commenced,"  it  was  an  imperative  duty  to  extricate  the  sliips 
and  return  home.  September  13,  he  signalled  to  the  "Rescue"  to 
cast  off. 

But  the  return  within  that  season  was  quickly  overruled  by  forces 
latterly  beyond  control.  After  leaving  their  English  friends,  the  two 
ships  of  Lieutenart  De Haven  were  caught  fast  in  the  new  ice  in  the 
midst  of  Wellington  Channel,  and  although  the  wind  for  a  short  sea- 
son bore  from  the  north  and  east,  the  drift  began  steadily  to  set  north- 
ward up  the  channel.  Through  the  whole  of  October  and  November 
the  changing  winds  drifted  them  helpless  to  and  fro,  but  never  drove 
them  out  of  the  strait.  From  December  1,  the  eastward  drift  brought 
them  by  January  14  into  Baffin's  Bay.  Here  the  ice  around  the  ves- 
sels soon  became  again  cemented  and  fixed,  but  tlie  ships  kept  driving 
southward  along  with  the  whole  mass  until  the  close  of  the  first  week 
in  June.  Cut  out  as  usual  with  saws,  axes,  and  crowbars,  and  with 
the  rudders  again  shipped,  they  then  forced  their  way  into  an  open, 
clear  sea  in  latitude  65°  30';  and  the  "Advance"  a  second  time  cast 
anchor  at  Disco  on  the  17th  of  July ;  the  "  Rescue,"  which  had  more 
than  once  suffered  severely,  coming  in  next  day. 

From  Disco  the  ships  touched  again  at  Proven  and  Upernavik. 
Alternately  closed  in,  and  then  with  hard  labor  released,  they  finally 
left  Holsteinborg  for  New  York  September  6,  1851.  The  commander, 
referring  to  the  instructions,  which  enjoined  him  not  to  spend,  if  it 
could  be  avoided,  more  than  one  winter  in  the  Arctic  regions,  had  of 
necessity  resolved  to  give  up  the  search,  "with  sad  hearts  that  our 
labors  had  served  to  throw  so  little  light  upon  it."  His  reports  and 
Kane's  narrative  dilate  at  large  on  the  traces  of  Franklin  which  have 
been  described,  and  upon  their  disappointments  at  two  later  dates,  at 
each  of  which  the  hope  of  renewed  efforts  had  lingered. 

The  first  of  these  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  winter  of  1850-51, 
when  they  found  they  were  not  fixed,  as  they  had  hoped  to  be,  in  a 
position  from  which  operations  could  be  carried  on  by  travelling  par- 
ties in  the  spring :  "  the  ships  were  fast  being  set  out  of  the  region  of 
search."  The  remaining  disappointment  was  at  the  close  of  August  of 
the  second  year,  when  the  ships  stood  again  to  the  northwest  in  the 


60  AMERICAN   EXPLOEATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Greenland  Sea,  but  the  lead  before  them  closing  at  the  distance  of  a 
few  miles,  and  the  ice  appearing  as  unfavorable  as  ever,  they  did  not 
deem  it  prudent  to  run  the  risk  of  being  again  beset,  and  considered 
that  even  if  successful  in  crossing  the  pack,  it  would  be  too  late  to 
attain  a  point  as  far  west  as  had  been  reached  the  year  previous. 

Important  geographical  discoveries  had  been  secured.  Dr.  Kane's 
journal  of  September  21  and  22,  at  the  date  named,  reads :  "  When  in 
latitude  75°  north,  the  sky  being  clear,  and  the  position  of  the  sun 
favorable,  I  saw  distinctly,  bearing  north  by  west,  a  series  of  hilltops 
(not  mountains),  apparently  of  the  same  configuration  with  those 
around  us,  and  separated  from  Cornwallis  Island  by  a  strip  of  low 
beach,  or  by  water  and  land  to  the  north  and  west ;  its  horizon  that  of 
low  ground,  without  bluffs,  and  terminating  abruptly  at  its  northern 
end.  Still  further  on  to  the  north  came  a  strip  without  visible  land 
again,  with  mountain  tops  distant  and  '  rising  above  the  clouds.'  "  To 
this  large  mass  of  land  visible  between  northwest  to  north-northeast, 
which  DeHaven  also  distinctly  observed,  he  gave  the  name  of  Grin- 
nell  Land ;  to  the  peak  bearing  north-northeast,  and  distant  about 
forty  miles,  the  name  of  Mount  Franklin ;  and  to  an  inlet  discovered 
by  Acting  Master  Griffin,  in  a  land  excursion,  the  name  of  Griffin 
Inlet.  In  May  of  the  following  year  these  were  seen  and  visited  by 
one  of  the  officers  of  Captain  Penny.  On  the  admiralty  charts  and 
those  issued  by  the  United  States  hydrographic  office.  Penny's  Strait 
and  Grinnell  Land  will  be  found  laid  down. 

When  the  American  expedition  had  found  itself  at  Murdaugh  Islet, 
near  Cornwallis  Island,  a  wide  channel  appeared  before  them,  leading 
to  the  westward,  the  frost  smoke  hanging  over  which  seemed  to  indi- 
cate a  large  area  of  open  water  in  that  direction,  and  the  signs  of 
animal  life  were  abundant.  To  the  channel  appearing  to  lead  into  this 
supposed  sea  DeHaven  gave  the  name  of  "  Maury,"  in  remembrance  of 
the  investigations  on  the  theory  of  "  an  open  polar  sea,"  to  which  the 
instructions  of  the  Secretary  had  referred  him  as  having  shared  at  the 
Observatory.  Tlie  conjectures  made  by  the  expedition  that  Franklin^ 
had  passed  up  this  channel  were  afterwards  conhrmed ;  his  return 
through  it,  and  southward  drift,  added  nothing  in  favor  of  the  theory. 


COMMENDATION   OF  THE   SECRETARY.  61 

It  had  been  an  additional  disappointment  to  DeHaveu  and  his  officers 
that,  after  sight  of  the  westward  channel  and  its  indications,  he  was 
debarred  from  pressing  forward  in  the  direction  in  which  he  believed 
the  greatest  chances  for  success  in  the  search  existed,  and  also  from 
entering  within  the  mysterious  basin. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  in  his  report  of  November  29,  1851, 
said :  — 

"  The  expedition  under  Lieutenant-Commanding  DeHaven  to  the 
Arctic  seas,  in  search  of  the  British  commander.  Sir  John  Franklin,  and 
his  companions,  returned  to  the  port  of  New  York  in  October,  having 
discovered  only  supposed  traces  of  the  objects  of  which  it  was  in 
quest,  and  leaving  in  entire  uncertainty  their  actual  fate.  The  vessels 
of  the  expedition  proceeded  in  the  direction  where,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  best-informed  officers,  the  missing  navigators  are  to  be  sought,  and 
on  which  the  traces  in  question  were  found.  Though  failing  in  the 
main  object  of  their  search.  Lieutenant  DeHaven  and  his  officers  veri- 
fied by  their  explorations  many  facts  before  unknown  to  science,  but 
indicated  in  the  course  of  investigations  carried  on  at  the  Naval  Obser- 
vatory, concerning  the  winds  and  currents,  and  to  which  reference  was 
made  in  instructions  for  the  expedition. 

"  In  this  expedition  the  officers  and  men  were  all  volunteers ;  in  its 
prosecution  they  encountered  the  greatest  dangers  and  hardships.  To 
mention  a  single  example :  their  vessel  was  caught  by  the  ice  and 
frozen  up  in  the  open  sea,  in  which  perilous  situation  they  were  con- 
fined for  nine  months,  and  drifted  to  and  fro  in  the  ice  for  more  than 
a  thousand  miles.  By  the  skill  of  the  officers,  and  the  mercy  of  a 
superintending  Providence,  they  were  released  from  their  imprison- 
ment, and  restored  to  their  country  and  friends,  not  a  man  having  been 
lost  in  the  expedition.  They  have  received  no  other  pay  than  wmild 
have  been  due  on  a  cruise  to  Naples  or  the  Levant,  and  I  would 
respectfully  suggest  that  they  be  allowed  the  same  pay  and  emol- 
uments that  were  granted  to  those  in  like  positions  in  the  last  exi)edi- 
tion  to  the  South  seas. 

"Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  the  owner  of  the  vessels  employed  by  Lieu- 
tenant DeHaven,  has  generously  offered  them  for  another  cruise  in 


€2  AjVierican  explorations  in  the  ice  zones. 

search  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  should  Congress  think  proper  to  grder  a 
second  expedition." 

No  condensation  can  be  justly  made  of  the  graphic  notices  journal- 
ized by  Kane  of  the  natural  features  of  the  Arctic  zone,  its  icebergs, 
hummocks,  and  floes,  and  especially  its  glaciers ;  of  the  beautiful  dis- 
plays of  refraction  and  the  auroras ;  or  of  the  fauna  and  flora  exam- 
ined. The  forms  of  the  glacier  and  berg,  in  their  fantastic  varieties 
and  swift  transformations  and  disappearance,  frequently  brought  to  his 
mind  memories  of  the  objects  visited  with  such  pleasure  in  the  Old 
World.     This  will  appear  by  a  single  extract :  — 

"  July  5,  11  P.M.  A  strip  of  horizon,  commencing  about  8°  to  the 
east  of  the  sun,  and  between  it  and  the  land,  resembled  an  extended 
plain,  covered  with  the  debris  of  ruined  cities.  No  effort  of  imagina- 
tion was  necessary  for  me  to  travel  from  the  true  watery  horizon  to  the 
false  one  of  refraction  above  it,  and  there  to  see  huge  structures  lining 
an  aerial  ocean  margin.  Some  of  rusty,  Egyptian,  rubbish-clogged 
propyla,  and  hypoethral  courts ;  some  tapering  and  columnar,  like  Pal- 
myra, Baalbec ;  some  with  architrave  and  portico,  like  Telmessus  or 
Athens,  or  else  vague  and  grotto-like,  such  as  dreamy  memories  recalled 
of  EUora  and  Carli. 

"  I  can  hardly  realize  it  as  I  write ;  but  it  was  no  trick  of  fancy. 
The  things  were  there  half  an  hour  ago.  I  saw  them,  capricious,  ver- 
satile, full  of  forms,  but  bright  and  definite  as  the  phases  of  sober  life. 
And  as  my  eyes  ran  round  upon  the  marvellous  and  varying  scene, 
every  one  of  these  well-remembered  cities  rose  before  me,  built  up  by 
some  suggestive  feature  of  the  ice. 

"An  iceberg  is  one  of  God's  own  buildings,  preaching  its  lessons  of 
humility  to  the  miniature  structures  of  man.  Its  material,  one 
colossal  Pentelicus ;  its  mass  the  representative  of  power  in  repose ; 
its  distribution  simulating  every  architectural  type.  It  makes  one 
smile  at  those  classical  remnants  which  our  own  period  reproduces  in 
its  Madeleines,  Walhallas,  and  Girard  Colleges,  like  university  poems 
in  the  dead  languages.  Still,  we  can  compare  them  with  the  iceberg ; 
for  the  same  standard  measures  both,  as  it  does  Chimborazo  and  the 
hill  of  Howth.     But  this  thing  of  refraction  is  supernatural  through- 


ARCTIC   PHANTASMAGORIA.  63 

out.  The  wildest  frolic  of  an  opium-eater's  revery  is  nothing  to  the 
phantasmagoria  of  the  sky  to-night.  Karnaks  of  ice,  turned  upside 
down,  were  resting  upon  the  rainbow-colored  pedestals ;  great  needles, 
obelisks  of  pure  whiteness,  shot  up  above  their  false  horizons,  and, 
after  an  hour-glass-like  contraction  at  their  point  of  union  with  their 
duplicated  images,  lost  themselves  in  the  blue  of  the  upper  sky. 

"While  I  was  looking  —  the  sextant  useless  in  my  hands,  for  1 
could  not  think  of  angles  —  a  blurred  and  wavy  change  came  over  the 
fantastic  picture.  Prismatic  tintings,  too  vague  to  admit  of  dioptric 
analysis,  began  to  margin  my  architectural  marbles,  and  the  scene 
faded  like  one  of  Fresnel's  dissolving  views.  Suddenly,  by  a  flash, 
they  reappeared  in  full  beauty;  and,  just  as  I  was  beginning  to  note  in 
my  memorandum-book  the  changes  which  this  brief  interval  had  pro- 
duced, they  went  out  entirel3%  and  left  a  nearly  clear  horizon." 

The  display  of  such  weird  and  ever-changing  scenery  in  the  arch 
above  him,  happily  for  the  time  being,  takes  from  the  Arctic  explorer 
all  sense  of  even  the  extreme  peril  in  which  he  is  placed.  A  noted 
instance  of  this  will  be  found  in  the  experience  of  the  officers  of  the 
"  Jeannette,"  as  cited  in  Chapter  X.  of  this  volume.  In  the  case  especially 
of  Lieut.  Chipp,  it  is  some  little  consolation  to  remember,  that  during 
so  man}'  hours  of  the  fearful  imprisonment  of  the  ship,  his  official  duty 
lay  in  observations  of  phenomena  attractive  and  elevating,  and  of  high 
value  in  scientific  inquiry. 

No  occupation,  however,  in  which  Dr.  Kane  engaged  was  permitted 
to  interfere  with  his  services  as  medical  officer  to  the  expedition, 
and  these  were  called  into  most  active  requisition  during  the  winter 
of  1851,  when  the  dreaded  scurvy  assailed  every  officer  and  many  of 
the  crews.  His  commander  reported  that  every  case  was  kept  under 
control  by  the  unwearied  attention  and  skilful  treatment  of  the  medi- 
cal officers,  and  that  it  was  in  a  great  measure  owing  to  the  advice 
and  the  expedients  recommended  by  the  senior  officer  that  the  expedi- 
tion was  able  to  return  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  Kane  himself  was 
down  with  the  disease,  and  his  old  wound  became  discolored  and 
painful ;  but  out  on  the  floes  his  energies  were  excited  and  his  blood 


64 


AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 


warmed,  and  he  tramped  away  freely.  The  powers  of  endurance  and 
of  restoration  from  repeated  attacks  of  disease  enabling  him  thus  to 
save  others,  and  to  prepare  himself  for  a  renewed  exploration,  were 
those  not  ordinarily  possessed  or  shown  to  the  world.  They  were  kept 
alive,  doubtless,  by  the  iron  will-power  within,  and  by  the  variety  of 
pursuits  of  his  every-day  life,  —  the  observations,  during  all  hours,  of 
the  wonders  of  nature ;  the  pursuit  of  game,  whenever  opportunity 
offered,  and  the  familiarizing  himself  with  the  movements  of  the  ships, 
and  the  duties  of  their  navigation  pertaining  to  the  executive  and 
the  watch  officer.  By  this  last  experience  he  fitted  himself  to  com- 
mand in  person  the  second  expedition,  in  which  he  was  soon  to  awaken 
an  interest  in  the  United  States. 


l^  ii^l^ 


E.  K.  KANE,  M.D.,  SURGEON  OF  THE  FIRST  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION; 
COMMANDER  OF  THE  SECOND. 


Author  of  "The  U.S.  Grinnell  Expedition  under  DeHaven,"  1850-52;  of  "Arctic  Explorations," 
1853-55.  Assistant  Surgeon  in  the  Naval  service,  July  21, 1843;  promoted  to  be  Passed  Assistant  Sur- 
geon, Sept.  14,  1848;  Medallist  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London  and  of  the  Soci6t6  de  G6o- 
graphie  of  Paris.    Died  at  Havana,  Feb.  15, 1857. 


CHAPTER    HI. 

THE  SECOND  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION   (1853-55). 

the  expedition  designed  by  kane.  —  contributors.  —  paper  read 
before  the  geographical  society  of  new  york.  —  assistance 
by  the  si:cretary  of  the  navy.  —  officers  of  the  "advance."  — 
fiskernaes. —  crossing  melville  bay. —  the  "advance"  moored 
to  an  iceberg.  —  rensselaer  harbor.  —  provision  depots  fojl 
spring  explorations. -t— the  observatory.  —  daily  ship-life. — 
Morton's  reported  polar  sea.  —  the  brig  fixed  in  the  ice.  — 
attempt  to  reach  beechey  island. — nine  of  the  company 
leave  for  the  south;  their  return.  —  scurvy. — the  brig 
abandoned.  —  boat  and  sledge  journey  southward.  —  rescue 
op  kane  by  captain  hartstene  at  disco.  —  arrival  at  new 
york. — reports  to  the  department.  —  summary  of  results. — 
appreciation  by  the  british  government.  —  publications  of 

THE  NARRATIVE.  —  KANE's  FAILING  HEALTH. —  REQUEST  OF  LxVDY 
FRANKLIN  TO  HIM  TO  UNDERTAKE  A  NEW  EXPEDITION.  —  HE  SAILS 
FOR  ENGLAND.  —  RETURN  VOYAGE.  —  DEATH.  —  FUNERAL  HONORS 
AT  HAVANA,  NEW  ORLEANS,  CINCINNATI,  COLU.MBUS,  BALTIMORE, 
AND  PHILADELPHIA.  —  KANE's  RELIGIOUS  CONFIDENCE. 

THE  second  American  expedition  in  search  of  the  lost  navigators 
is  to  be  credited  chiefly  to  Dr.  Kane.  It  was  made  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Navy  Department,  the  Sn,iithsonian  Institution. 
the  Geographical  Society  of  New  York,  and  the  American  Philosophi- 
cal Society ;  with  contributions  from  a  number  of  other  scientific  asso- 
ciations and  friends  of  science,  chiefly  in  Boston,  New  York,  and  Phil- 
adelphia. Professors  Henry  and  Bache,  and  Lieutenant  Maury  again 
rendered  eflicient  aid.  Mr.  Grinnell  placed  the  "Advance"  at  Kane's 
disposal,  making  further  contributions  in  money  and  supplies,  and  Mr. 
Peabody,  of  London,  paid  down  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars. 
Kane  himself  freely  contributed  from  his  private  means  and  from  the 
proceeds  of  his  lectures. 

65 


66  A3MERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   LN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

For  months  after  his  return  with  DeHaven  he  had  occupied  himself 
in  maturing  the  scheme  of  a  renewed  effort  to  rescue  the  missing 
party,  or  at  least  to  solve  the  mystery  of  their  fate.  "  The  object  of 
my  journey,"  he  said,  "  is  the  search  after  Sir  John  Franklin ;  neither 
science  nor  the  vainglory  of  attaining  an  unreached  North  shall  divert 
me  from  this  one  conscientious  aim."  He  could  not  realize  that  some 
of  the  party  might  not  yet  be  alive ;  that  some  small  squad,  or  squads, 
aided  by  the  Eskimos  of  the  expedition,  might  not  have  found  a  hunt- 
'  ing-ground,  and  laid  up  from  summer  to  summer  enough  of  fuel  and 
food  and  seal-skins  to  brave  three,  or  even  four  more  winters  in  suc- 
cession. Even  at  a  late  date  on  this  second  voyage  he  wrote,  "If  four 
months  ago,  surrounded  by  darkness  and  bound  down  b)^  disease,  I  had 
been  asked  the  question, '  Can  they  have  survived?'  I  would  have  turned 
towards  the  bleak  hills  and  the  frozen  sea,  and  responded,  in  sympathy 
with  them,  '  No  ! '  But  with  the  return  of  light,  a  savage  people  came 
down  upon  us,  destitute  of  any  but  the  rudest  appliances  of  the  chase, 
but  fattening  on  the  most  wholesome  diet  of  the  region,  only  forty 
miles  from  our  anchorage,  while  I  was  denouncing  its  scarcity. 

"  In  my  opinion,  the  vessels  cannot  have  been  suddenly  destroyed, 
or,  at  least,  so  destroyed  that  provisions  and  stores  could  not  have 
been  established  in  a  safe  and  convenient  dep6t.  With  this  view, 
which  all  my  experience  of  ice  sustains,  comes  the  collateral  question 
as  to  the  safety  of  the  documents  of  the  expedition. 

"  If  the  natives  reached  the  seat  of  the  missing  ships  of  Franklin, 
and  there  became  possessed,  b}''  pilfer  or  by  barter,  of  the  articles  sent 
home  by  Rae  and  Anderson,  this  very  fact  would  explain  the  ability  of 
some  of  the  party  to  sustain  life  among  them.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  natives  have  never  reached  the  ships,  or  the  seat  of  their  stores, 
and  the  relics  were  obtained  from  the  deserted  boat,  then  the  central 
stores  or  ships  are  unmolested,  and  some  may  have  been  able,  by  these 
and  the  hunt,  even  yet  to  sustain  life." 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Geographical  Society  of  New  York,  De- 
cember 14,  1852,  he  read  a  paper  developing  liis  plan  of  search.  It 
presented  the  inducements  of  terra  firma  as  the  basis  of  operations, — a 
due  northern  line  to  lead  soonest  to  the  open  sea,  animal  life  to  sustain 


DR.  kane's  plans.  67 

travelling  parties,  aud  the  co-operation  of  the  Eskimos.  He  believed 
in  the  probable  extension  of  the  land  masses  of  Greenland  to  the  far 
North ;  that  its  highest  protruding  headland  would  be  most  likely  to 
afford  some  traces  of  the  lost  party ;  and  tliat  the  approximation  of  the 
meridians  would  make  the  access  from  the  point  reached  to  the  West 
as  easy  as  from  Wellington  Channel,  and  access  to  the  East  far  more 
easy.  The  Northern  point  he  hoped  to  attain  would  be  two  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  north  of  Beechey  Island,  and  seventy  miles  north  of 
the  highest  then  reached  in  Wellington  Channel.  He  would  pass  up 
Baffin's  Bay  to  this  most  northern  point,  and  then  press  on  towards 
the  Pole  as  far  as  boats  or  sledges  could  carry  a  select  party  of  not 
more  than  twenty  —  "a  picked  crew." 

In  support  of  his  belief  of  the  extension  of  Greenland  to  the  far 
North,  Kane  adduced,  among  other  arguments,  the  analogy  between  its 
general  contour  and  that  of  the  Southern  Peninsidas  of  the  world, 
specially  in  reference  to  their  inward  concave  bend  on  the  Western 
side  —  toward  the  interior.  He  made  a  strong  point  of  the  increasing 
elevation  of  the  Greenland  peaks  from  South  to  North.  The  basis  of 
his  belief  in  the  existence  of  an  Open  Polar  Sea,  as  confirmed  by  this 
second  expedition,  will  receive  subsequent  attention  in  this  volume. 

The  lectures  excited  much  interest.  At  Washington,  the  officers  of 
the  Government  had  listened  with  close  attention,  some  of  the  Senators 
committing  themselves  to  the  support  of  a  Bill  for  an  appropriation  for 
the  voyage.  But  although  Congress  did  not  fail  to  appreciate  the 
results  of  the  first  expedition,  —  providing,  by  an  Act  of  the  later  date 
of  August  31,  the  pay  of  fleet-surgeon  for  its  senior  medical  officer,  with 
that  of  the  next  higher  rank  to  others,  and  additions  to  the  compensa- 
tion of  warrant  and  petty  officers  and  crew,  —  no  appropriation  was 
made  for  this  expedition. 

Despairing  of  receiving  aid  from  Congress,  Kane  unfolded  his  plans 
to  Secretary  Kennedy,  to  whom  he  had  been  specially  commended 
by  the  Chief  of  the  Smithsonian  and  the  Superintendents  of  the  Coast 
Survey  and  the  Observatory,  as  possessuig  peculiar  qualities  and  varied 
sources  of  knowledge  fitting  him  for  the  Exploration.  The  Navy 
Department  promptly  encouraged  him.     The  Secretary  did  not  hesitate 


68  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

to  say  that  he  would  assist  with  every  means  authorized ;  bringing  the 
expedition  under  the  control  of  the  Government  by  placing  him  on 
special  duty  to  conduct  it  under  the  direction  of  the  Department.  He 
detailed  for  him  ten  men  from  the  Naval  Service,  on  their  usual  pay 
and  rations,  and  furnished  some  nautical  instruments,  maps,  and  charts, 
and  a  few  provisions. 

In  his  brief  orders  of  November  27,  1852,  and  February  9,  1853,  the 
Secretary  referred  to  the  solicitation  of  Lady  Franklin  that  Kane 
should  undertake  the  Expedition ;  and,  placing  him  on  special  duty  for 
"  the  conduct  of  an  overland  journey  from  the  upper  waters  of  Baffin's 
Bay  to  the  shores  of  the  Polar  Seas,"  invited  his  attention  to  Scientific 
inquiry,  particularly  to  the  existence  of  an  open  sea,  and  to  the  sub- 
jects of  terrestrial  magnetism,  general  meteorology,  and  natural  history. 
No  specific  instructions,  usual  on  the  departure  of  Naval  expeditions, 
were  offered.  The  Secretary  added,  "Relying  on  your  zeal  and  dis- 
cretion, the  Department  sends  you  forth  on  an  undertaking  which  will 
be  attended  with  great  peril  and  exposure ;  trusting  that  you  will  be 
sustained  by  the  laudable  object  in  view,  and  wishing  you  success  and 
a  safe  return  to  your  friends." 

May  30,  1853,  the  "Advance"  left  New  York  on  her  second  cruise^ 
having  on  board  seventeen  persons.  Dr.  I.  I.  Hayes,  of  New  York, 
was  the  surgeon,  August  Sontag,  its  astronomer,  and  Henry  Brooks, 
of  the  first  Expedition,  second  in  command ;  of  the  seamen,  William 
Morton  also  had  been  with  DeHaven  and  Kane.  The  equipment  of 
the  brig  consisted  of  little  more  than  a  quantity  of  rough  boards  for 
housing  the  vessel  in  winter,  some  tents  of  india-rubber  and  canvas^ 
and  several  carefully  built  sledges.  Kane  had  some  two  thousand 
pounds  of  pemmican  and  a  liberal  supply  of  dried  fruits  and  vegetables, 
with  the  usual  navy  rations ;  a  well-chosen  library,  furnished  partly  by 
Government  and  partly  by  Mr.  Grinnell ;  a  moderate  wardrobe  of 
woollens;  and  a  number  of  articles  for  barter.  At  St.  Johns,  New- 
foundland, he  made  his  purchase  of  fresh  beef,  to  be  marled  and  hung 
in  the  rigging,  and  received  from  Governor  Hamilton  a  noble  team  of 
Newfoundland  dogs.     July  1,  he  entered  the  harbor  of  Fiskernaes,  too 


HANS    HENDRIK. 


69 


late  in  the  season  to  obtain  the  fresh  stores  needed  for  the  Expedition, 
but  securing  here  the  services  of  Hans  Christian  (or  Hendrik),  then 


m 

"'Illil' 

SSo^^ 

m 

ti^r'-^: 

W 

^^.. 
W^ 

a  boy  of  nineteen,  expert  with  tlie  kayak  and  javelin.  He  proved  so 
useful  an  assistant  as  to  lead  to  his  future  engagements  by  Hayes,  Hall, 
and  Captain  Nares,  of  the  English  Expedition  of  1875.  Reaching 
Melville  Bay  on  the  27th,  Kane  found  the  shore  ices  so  decayed,  that 


70  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

he  did  not  deem  it  advisable  to  attempt  the  usual  passage  along  the  fast 
floes  of  the  land,  but  stood  directly  to  the  Northward  and  Eastward,  until 
he  met  the  middle  pack.  Here  he  headed  nearly  direct  for  Cape  York» 
July  29,  fearing  a  besetment,  he  decided  to  fasten  to  an  iceberg,  and 
after  eight  hours'  warping,  heaving,  and  planting  ice-anchors,  succeeded 
in  effecting  it;  but  he  had  hardly  a  breathing-spell  before  he  waa 
startled  by  a  set  of  loud  crackling  sounds  above,  while  small  fragments 
of  ice  not  larger  than  a  walnut  began  to  dot  the  water,  like  the  first 
drops  of  a  summer  shower.  The  indications  were  too  plain ;  he  had 
barely  time  to  cast  off  before  the  face  of  the  berg  fell  in  ruins,  crashing 
like  artillery.  On  the  31st,  when  anchored  to  a  second  berg,  the  con- 
tinued ice  pressure  began  to  affect  it,  and  it  took  up  its  march  to  the 
south.  The  brig  was  secured  to  a  much  larger  one,  the  course  of 
which  was  steadily  northward,  the  loose  ice  drifting  by  on  each  side, 
leaving  a  wake  of  black  water  for  a  mile  behind  the  ship.  At  10  p.m., 
being  in  immediate  danger,  she  again  got  off  in  a  lead  to  the  northeast,, 
pushing  over  in  spite  of  the  drifting  trash.  "  The  midnight  sun  came 
out  over  the  northern  crest  of  the  great  berg,  kindling  variously- 
colored  fires  on  every  part  of  its  surface,  and  making  the  ice  around 
one  great  resplendency  of  gemwork,  blazing  carbuncles,  and  rubies, 
and  molten  gold."  Through  all  this  jewelry  the  brig  went  crunching, 
and,  after  a  tortuous  progress  of  five  miles,  arrested  here  and  there  by 
tongues  which  required  the  saw  and  the  ice-chisels,  fitted  herself  neatly 
in  between  two  floes.  He  succeeded  in  crossing  the  bay  in  ten  days- 
August  7,  the  -'Advance"  reached  the  headland  of  Sir  Thomas. 
Smith's  Sound,  and  passed  beyond  the  highest  point  gained  by  Captain 
Inglefield,  R.N.  Still  too  far  to  the  South  to  carry  on  his  proposed 
search,  Kane  now  attempted  the  penetration  of  a  drifting  pack  which 
met  him,  selecting  first  a  provision  depot,  and  depositing  in  it  some 
supplies  and  his  life-boat.  On  the  western  cape  of  Littleton  Island  he 
built  his  first  cairn,  wedging  a  staff  into  the  rock  crevices,  on  wliich  he 
spread  the  American  flag,  and  placing  also  near  by  a  beacon,  official 
despatches,  and  private  letters  of  farewell. 

Entering   the   pack,  the   ''Advance"  found   the   ice   hugging   the 
American  shore,  and  extending  across  the  channel.     Debarred  from  the 


RENSSELAER   HARBOR.  71 

Northern  passage  on  that  side,  after  a  temporary  asylum  in  a  land- 
locked bay,  which  he  named  Refuge  Harbor,  fearing  lest  the  rapidly 
advancing  cold  might  prevent  further  penetrating,  Kane  warped  out 
and  again  made  fast  to  an  iceberg.  Here  the  drifting  pack  outside  was 
at  first  utterly  impenetrable ;  many  bergs  were  driving  backward  and 
forward  with  the  tides,  and,  pressing  on  the  ice  of  the  floes,  had  raised 
up  hills  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet  high.  Having  no  alternative  but 
either  to  advance  or  discontinue  the  search,  relying  upon  the  strength 
of  his  ship,  and  the  spirit  and  fidelity  of  his  comrades,  he  determined 
if  possible  to  press  through  the  small  interspace  between  the  main 
pack  and  the  coast,  —  an  effort  attended  with  a  series  of  the  severest 
experiences.  Whenever  the  receding  tides  left  deficient  soundings,  the 
ship  was  on  her  beam  ends ;  twice  it  was  impossible  to  secure  the 
stoves  so  as  to  prevent  her  from  taking  fire.  August  29,  when  she 
reached  latitude  78°  43',  she  had  lost  part  of  her  starboard  bulwarks,  a 
quarter  boat,  her  jib-boom,  best  bower  anchor,  and  six  hundred  fathoms 
of  hawser,  but  was  herself  in  all  essentials  uninjured. 

Winter  was  now  rapidly  advancing,  the  rapid  formation  of  young 
ice  making  it  plain  that  it  would  soon  cement  itself.  Kane's  officers 
united  in  a  written  opinion  in  favor  of  returning  to  a  more  Southern 
harbor.  But  he  was  unwilling  to  lose  a  dearly  purchased  progress,  and 
be  removed  from  the  intended  observations.  He  immediately  set  out 
to  seek  a  spot  which  might  be  eligible  for  a  starting-point  for  future 
travel.  The  party  at  first  carried  a  whale-boat  and  sledge,  but  were 
compelled  to  abandon  both.  They  advanced  on  foot  to  a  point  which 
the  meridian  observations  of  the  theodolite  placed  in  latitude  78°  52', 
longitude  78°  41'  West,  where  the  coast  of  Greenland  was  found  facing 
plainly  to  the  North.  No  spot,  however,  seemed  to  combine  so  many 
of  the  requisites  for  a  Winter  Harbor  as  that  in  which  the  ship  had 
been  left,  and  on  the  return  of  the  party  she  was  warped  in  between 
the  islands,  in  a  spot  "  secured  against  the  moving  ice,  walled  in  to  sea- 
ward, with  an  anchorage  of  a  moderate  depth  of  water,  open  to  the 
meridian  sunlight,  and  guarded  from  winds,  eddies,  and  drifts," —  but  to 
remain  near  tliis  point,  as  will  hereafter  be  seen,  fixed  in  the  same  ice, 
until  the  unknown  date  at  which,  after  being  abandoned  by  Dr.  Kane, 


72  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

she  was  destroyed.     No  vestige  of  her  could  be  seen  on  the  visit  to 
llenssalaer  Harbor  by  Dr.  Hayes,  December,  1860. 

September  8,  Dr.  Hayes,  Mr.  Wilson,  and  Hans  were  sent  inland, 
chiefly  to  determine  how  far  a  supply  of  game  might  be  hoped  for. 
This  party,  on  the  fourth  day  of  a  laborious  travel,  descended  into  a 
deep,  broad  valley,  the  bed  of  a  river  then  nearly  dry.  They  spent  the 
night  in  their  buffalo-skins  on  the  rocks.  Carrying  each  on  his  shoul- 
ders a  weight  of  about  thirty  pounds,  in  continuance  of  their  journey 
they  clambered  at  first  over  rocks  from  which  the  snow  had  disappeared, 
but  soon  entered  on  a  more  enlivening  prospect  of  beds  of  green  moss 
tind  turf.  Patches  of  andromeda  gave  them  here  and  there  a  carpet, 
and  furnished  fuel  for  their  cooking.  No  evidences  of  life,  however, 
were  seen  except  some  small  herds  of  reindeer,  a  solitary  rabbit,  and 
the  footmarks  of  a  fox.  At  the  end  of  a  journey  of  ninety  miles  their 
progress  was  arrested  by  a  glacier  four  hundred  feet  high,  extending  to 
the  North  and  West  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  It  was  midnight 
when  they  approached  it,  but  the  sun  was  a  few  degrees  only  beneath 
the  horizon ;  stars  of  the  second  magnitude  were  dimly  visible  in  the 
North ;  and  a  brilliant  meteor,  falling  just  in  advance  of  the  travellers, 
greatly  heightened  the  effect  by  its  reflected  light  on  this  wall  of  pure 
whiteness.  Along  the  base  of  the  glacier  was  a  snowbank  fifty  to  sixty 
feet  in  height,  rising  at  an  angle  of  thirty  degrees ;  this  was  ascended, 
but  the  smooth  ice-surface  baffled  all  attempts  to  reach  the  summit  of 
the  glacier,  which  rose  to  an  elevation  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet, 
rounding  gradually  off  as  it  approached  the  Mer  de  G-laee  above. 
With  all  his  dexterity  Hans  failed  to  secure  any  game. 

Dr.  Kane's  next  step  was  to  organize  parties  for  establishing  pro- 
vision dep6ts  to  facilitate  researches  in  the  Spring.  The  signs  of 
intense  cold  were  hastening ;  by  September  10  the  thermometer  had 
fallen  to  14°,  the  floes  around  the  brig  were  cemented,  and  an  iceberg 
had  been  frozen  in,  to  be  the  companion  of  the  party  during  their 
whole  stay ;  the  birds,  even  the  sea-swallows,  had  all  gone  South. 

The  provisions  brought  out  had  not  included  hermetically  sealed 
meats,  and  there  seemed  little  ground  of  expecting  game ;  the  salted 


THE  OBSERVATORY.  73 

provisions  were  therefore  put  under  a  process  of  freshening  by  alter- 
nate soaking  and  freezing  under  the  ice-crust  of  a  fresh-water  pond. 

The  sled  for  the  first  depOt  party,  which  was  under  McGary  and 
Bonsall,  was  modelled  from  one  received  from  the  British  Admiralty, 
and  measured  thirteen  feet  by  four.  It  readily  carried  fourteen  hun- 
dred pounds.  The  cargo,  exclusive  of  supplies  for  the  journey,  was 
chiefly  pemmican,  put  up  in  wooden  cases  and  tinned  iron  cylinders, 
strongly  protected  from  the  assaults  of  the  bear.  Upon  the  cargo  was 
a  light  india-rubber  boat,  which  Kane  hoped  could  be  launched  on 
reaching  open  water.  The  seven  men  attached  to  the  sled  had  each 
his  own  "  Rue-ra-ddy,"  or  shoulder-belt,  and  his  track-rope,  varying  in 
length,  to  prevent  his  interference  with  another  when  walking  abreast. 
Leaving  the  brig  September  20,  they  reached  their  highest  latitude, 
79°  50',  making  three  important  caches ;  the  third  contained  eight  hun- 
dred pounds  of  pemmican.  After  they  had  been  out  twenty  days, 
Kane  pushed  out  to  look  for  them ;  and  after  a  venturesome  run  across 
the  ice-belt,  where  his  dogs  once  failed  to  leap  a  chasm,  he  met  them 
on  their  return,  safe  though  nearly  exhausted. 

Meanwhile,  on  one  of  the  islets  in  Rensselaer  Harbor,  an  Astro- 
nomical Observatory  had  been  raised  of  four  walls  of  granite  blocks, 
cemented  with  moss  and  water  and  the  never-failing  aid  of  frost. 
Tliey  bore  a  substantial  wooden  roof.  The  pedestals  were  a  con- 
glomerate of  gravel  and  ice ;  the  transit  and  theodolite  were  thus  free 
from  vibration.  A  small  magnetic  observatory  adjoined,  in  which 
Kane  had  his  magnetometer  and  dip  instrument ;  and  on  the  open  ice- 
field was  the  wooden  Meteorological  Observatory,  latticed  and  pierced 
with  auger-holes  to  allow  the  air  to  pass  freely,  its  inner  chamber,  being 
guarded  against  the  drift  by  a  series  of  screens.  The  thermometers, 
of  which  there  was  a  good  supply,  were  of  such  sensibility  that,  when 
standing  at  —  40°  or  —  50°,  the  mere  approach  of  the  observer  caused 
a  perceptible  rise.  One  of  them,  a  three-feet  spirit  standard  by 
Tagliabue,  graduated  to  —  70°.  was  of  sufficiently  extended  register 
to  be  read  by  rapid  inspection  to  tenths  of  a  degree.  "  The  influence 
of  the  winds  I  did  not  wish  absolutely  to  neutralize ;  but  I  endeavored 
to  make  the  exposure  to  them  so  uniform  as  to  give  a  relative  result 


74  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

for  every  quarter  of  tlie  compass."  A  tide  register  was  on  board  the 
brig. 

The  value  of  the  work  performed  under  circumstances  of  sucli 
intense  cold  and  suffering  was  appreciated,  after  the  return  of  the 
expedition,  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  the  "Catalogue  and  Index  " 
of  whose  publications,  issued  in  1882,  gives,  on  page  33,  "Physical 
Observations  in  the  Arctic  Seas,  by  Elisha  Kent  Kane.  Made  during 
the  Second  Grinnell  Expedition  in  search  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  in 
1853, 1854,  and  1855,  at  Van  Rensselaer  Harbor  and  other  points  on  the 
West  Coast  of  Greenland.  Reduced  and  discussed  by  Chas.  A.  Schott. 
Part  T.  —  Magnetism.  II.  —  Meteorology.  III.  —  Astronomy.  IV.  — 
Tides  (Nos.  97^-,  104=''-,  129^"-,  130^'"),  1859-60.  4to,  pp.  340, 17  wood- 
cuts, 1  map,  6  plates." 

The  Nos.  97,  etc.,  within  the  parentheses  are  those  of  the  separate 
publications  which  make  up  this  volume.  Appendixes  in  the  second 
of  Kane's  volumes  of  this  later  expedition,  contain  the  preliminary 
notes  from  which  this  Publication  has  been  made.  Appendix  XVIII.  is 
Mr.  Durand's  examination  of  plants  collected  on  both  expeditions  —  on 
the  second  with  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Hayes. 

The  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  Astronomical  Observatory  are 
given.  "Lat.  78°  37'  N.,  Long.  70°  40'  W.  The  island  on  which 
the  observatory  was  placed  was  some  fifty  paces  long  by  perhaps  forty 
broad.  The  highest  point  of  the  island  was  about  thirty  feet  above  the 
mean  tide-level  of  the  harbor." 

November  7th,  darkness  came  on  with  insidious  steadiness ;  the- 
thermometer  at  noonday  only  could  be  read  without  a  light ;  the  black 
masses  of  the  hills,  with  their  glaring  patches  of  snow,  were  still  visible. 
The  stars  of  the  sixth  magnitude  shone  out  at  noonday ;  the  moon, 
now  at  her  greatest  northern  declination,  swept  round  the  heavens,  at 
the  lowest  part  of  her  curve  14°  above  the  horizon.  In  the  brig,  a  mean 
temperature  was  kept  at  65°  below  deck ;  above,  under  the  housing,  it 
was  as  high  as  the  freezing  point.     Winter  was  fully  upon  them. 

The  party  began  to  realize  their  situation.  They  found  it  difficult 
to  keep  up  a  cheery  tone.     Even  Hans  was  sorely  homesick  "  until  his 


SEVERE   EXPERIENCES.  —  1854-5.  75 

nostalgia  was  treated  first  by  a  dose  of  salts,  and  secondly  by  promo- 
tion." He  had  bundled  up  his  clothes  and  threatened  a  good-bye,  "  but 
soon  became  as  happy  as  a  fat  man  ought  to  be." 

The  brig  was  now  made  as  comfortable  as  possible  ;  the  deck  housed 
ill  and  corked  with  oakum,  and  within  a  system  of  warmth  and  ventila- 
tion secured.  The  arrangements  for  cooking,  ice-melting,  and  washing 
were  minutely  cared  for. 

The  usual  daily  Arctic  routine  was  established.  At  6  a.  m.  the  decks 
were  cleaned,  the  ice-hole  opened,  the  ice-tables  measured,  and  things 
aboard  put  to  rights.  At  half  past  seven  all  hands  washed  on  deck 
and  came  below  for  breakfast,  which  was  alike  for  all,  —  hard-tack» 
pork,  stewed  apples  frozen  like  molasses  candy,  tea  and  coffee,  with  a 
delicate  portion  of  raw  potato.  After  breakfast,  smoking  till  nine ;  and 
then  each  to  his  occupation  until  dinner,  when  the  raw  potato  came  in 
again  for  hygiene.  This  last  morsel  was  anything  but  palatable, 
although  its  good  effects  on  gums  threatened  with  scurvy  were  often 
p(nnted  out.  Six  o'clock  brought  supper,  with  little  variation  of  the 
diet  named,  and  then  the  amusements  of  cards,  chess,  and  the  Magazine 
cheered  the  evening. 

The  small  force  of  the  company  had  been  reduced  by  sickness,  and 
the  deck  officers  and  effective  men  had  enough  of  ship's  duty  to  occupy 
several  hours  of  each  day.  Mr.  Sontag  was  assisted  at  the  observatory 
alternatel}'^  by  the  Commander,  Mr.  Bonsall,  and  Dr.  Hayes ;  on  board 
he  had  his  charts  and  computations.  When  the  season  had  fully 
set  in,  the  last-named  officer  had  a  hospital  on  hand,  and  specimens 
in  natural  history  to  prepare,  with  the  meteorological  tables,  the  log- 
book, and  other  official  records  to  occupy  him.  There  was  no  idling 
on  board  during  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  days  of  the  sun's  absence. 

The  long  and  dreary  winter  was  exceptionally  severe,  —  the  ther- 
mometer registering,  January  17,  — 49°,  and  February  5,  — 68°.  The 
reduced  mean  of  the  best  spirit  standards  gave  —  67° ;  chloric  ether 
and  the  oil  of  winter-green  became  solid.  The  influence  of  the  long 
and  intense  darkness  was  most  depressing,  and  of  the  ship's  company 
scarcely  one  was  exempt  from  scurvy.  More  than  fifty  dogs  died  from 
an  anomalous  form  of  disease  to  which  the  absence  of  light  contributed 


76  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

as  much  as  the  extreme  cold.  They  ate  voraciously,  kept  their  strength^ 
and  slept  well,  but  barked  frantically  at  nothing,  and  walked  in  straight 
and  curved  lines  with  anxious  and  unwearying  perseverance  ;  generally 
they  i^erished  with  symptoms  resembling  lock-jaw,  in  thirty-six  hours 
after  the  first  attack.  Their  loss  interfered  seriously  with  the  original 
plan  of  search ;  it  had  been  contemplated  to  employ  them  in  following 
the  coast,  but  now  a  new  system  must  be  established,  new  sledges 
built,  and  equipments  provided  suited  to  larger  parties  and  of  a  more 
portable  character. 

At  the  opening  of  spring  the  party  was  too  small  for  an  extended 
system  of  operations  ;  the  only  hojje  of  continuing  the  search  was  to  be 
found  in  a  passage  through  or  over  the  ice-fields  to  the  north.  March  17, 
Kane  was  anxiously  waiting  to  send  out  his  first  advance  party.  The 
thermometer  outside  stood  at  — 46°,  but  from  the  deck  of  the  "Advance  " 
he  saw  the  promise  of  milder  weather.  To  the  northward  all  the  bright 
glare  of  sunset  streamed  out  in  long  bands  of  orange  through  the  vapors 
of  the  ice-foot,  and  the  frost-smoke  exhaled  in  wreaths  like  those  which 
one  sees  curling  from  the  house-chimneys  as  he  comes  down  a  mountain 
side  into  a  valley.  On  the  third  day  following,  the  dep6t  party  started 
out.  But  the  heavy  gale  from  the  north-northeast  overtook  them,  their 
tlu'rinometer  fell  to  — 57°,  and  when  found  by  a  rescue  party  under 
Kane  they  were  at  the  point  of  entire  exhaustion,  having  been  without 
sleep  eighty-one  out  of  eighty-four  hours.  Two  of  the  men,  Baker  and 
Schubert,  died  not  long  after  their  return  to  the  brig ;  all  save  one 
suffered  with  temporarily  impaired  minds. 

As  soon  as  the  health  of  his  company  justified  it,  Kane  renewed  his 
attempts  by  three  expeditions :  in  April  and  May  under  his  own  guid- 
ance, in  June  under  Dr.  Hayes,  and  in  June-July  under  Morton, 
accompanied  by  Hans. 

The  first  of  these  explorations  was  along  the  base  of  the  great  glacier 
issuing  from  the  coast  of  Greenland  in  Lat.  79°, — a  glacier  revisited 
and  surveyed  the  year  following.  But  the  scurvy  painfully  reappeared, 
the  snow  deepened  till  the  men  sank  to  their  middle,  the  dogs  .vere  so 
buried  that  the  sleds  were  unloaded  and  their  cargoes  carried,  and  the 
supplies  expected  to  be  found  available  in  the  cache  of  the  previous 


Morton's  "open  sea."  77 

fall  were  found  destroyed  by  the  bear.  Three  of  the  party  were  over- 
come by  snow-blindness,  and  Kane  himself  was  carried  back  to  the  brig, 
where  he  lay  ill  with  scurvy  and  typhoid  fever,  unable  to  walk  until 
June  9. 

The  location  of  the  entire  northern  coast  line  was  still  a  blank ;  the 
theodolite  had  made  for  them  the  discovery  that  it  trended  eastward. 
Dr.  Hayes  renewed  an  attempt  for  its  exploration.  Leaving  the  brig. 
May  20,  he  pressed  on,  in  company  with  William  Godfrey,  on  a  due 
north  line,  but,  encountering  the  squeezed  ices,  soon  worked  to  the 
eastward,  following  an  extremely  tortuous  course  of  not  more  than 
ninety  niiles  in  a  direct  line,  but  of  actual  travel  two  hundred  and 
seventy.  The  whole  travel  of  twelve  days  was  one  of  not  less  than 
four  hundred  miles.  The  new  coast  line  added  by  this  journey  to  the 
chart  was  about  two  hundred  miles  in  extent.  His  return  from  the 
highest  point  reached,  latitude  79°  45',  became  a  necessity  by  the  giving 
out  of  the  pemraican  and  by  severe  snow-blindness  and  exhaustion. 

Morton's  journey,  which  followed,  was  a  new  era  in  the  expedition. 
June  15  he  reached  the  base  of  the  great  glacier,  after  travelling  due 
north  over  a  solid  area  choked  with  bergs  and  frozen  fields,  and  on  the 
sixth  day  after,  made  for  what  he  thought  a  cape,  seeing  a  vacancy 
between  it  and  the  west  land.  On  his  reaching  the  opening  he  found 
it  a  channel,  its  mouth  covered  with  ice.  After  turning  the  cape  he 
met  with  a  good,  smooth  ice-foot  in  the  entering  curve  of  a  bay,  where 
the  land  soon  grew  lower,  —  a  long,  low  country  with  rolling  hills 
opening  to  the  view.  The  open  water  was  black  with  dove-kies,  the 
tern  were  numerous,  and  Hying  high  over  liead  were  large,  white  birds ; 
mollemokes  were  feeding  on  the  water,  and  then  flying  over  it  well  out 
to  sea.  Never  had  the  birds  been  seen  so  numerous.  A  flock  of  brent 
geese  made  a  curve  out  to  seaward,  and  then  flew  far  ahead  over  the 
plain,  showing  that  their  destination  was  inland. 

Morton  walked  over  the  hummocked  ice  on  the  shallow  bay,  and 
saw  another  opening,  not  quite  eight  miles  across,  separating  two 
islands;  the  open  passages  were  fifteen  miles  or  more  in  width.  He 
tried  in  vain  to  pass  entirely  round  this  cape,  nor  could  he  ascend  the 
very  high  cliffs  more  than  a  few  hundied  feet.     But  at  that  height  he 


78  AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

fastened  to  his  walking-pole  the  flag  which  had  accompanied  Commodore 
Wilkes  on  the  Antarctic  Expedition  of  1838-42,  and  DeHaven  in  the 
first   Grinnell   Expedition.      Looking   out   upon   the   great   waste    of 
waters  before  him,  ••'  not  a  speck  of  ice  could  be  seen."     From  a  height 
of  480  feet,  which  commanded  a  horizon  of  almost  forty  miles,  his  ears 
were  gladdened  with  the  novel  music  of  dashing  waves;  and  a  surf 
breaking  in  among  the  rocks  at  his  feet  stayed  his  further  progress. 
This  cheering  news  confirmed  at  the  time  all  the  arguments  which  Kane 
had  revolved  in  the  past,  in  favor  of  an  open  Polar  Sea.     It  was,  how- 
ever, the  last  achievement  which  the  Expedition  could  secure.     For 
the  season  of  Arctic   travel   had   now   ended,   and   the   summer  was 
wearing  on,  but  the  ice  did  not  break  up,  as  was  expected;  anxious 
thoughts  for  the  coming  year  were  inevitable.     It  seemed  as  if  a  second 
winter  must  overtake  the  ship  before  she  could  get  half-way  through 
the  pack,  even  if  warping  to  the  South'  should  begin  at  the  earliest 
moment  possible.     Yet  the  party  were  confessedly  ill-fitted  for  another 
Arctic  season,  having  neither  health,   fuel,   nor  provisi*ns.     On  the 
other  hand,  to  abandon  the  vessel  seemed  to  be  ine;3j^edient  if  not 
impracticable,  as  it  would  involve  the  necessity  of  ca^-^^ihg  sick  and 
newly   amputated    men, — one-half  of    the    company   being   disabled. 
Kane  thought  he  could  not  desert  the  brig  while  there  was  a  chance 
of  saving  her. 

An  exploring  journey  of  sixty  miles  confirmed  his  belief  that  he 
could  not  escape  in  open  boats,  and  he  determined  to  make  an  effort 
to  communicate  with  Beechey  Island,  and  the  English  squadron  there 
under  Sir  Edward  Belcher.  Setting  out  on  the  12th  of  July,  with  five 
volunteers,  he  found  the  pack  solid  from  Jones'  to  Murchison's  Sounds, 
and  the  ice  still  investing  the  American  shore  some  twenty  miles  from 
Cape  Isabella.  After  several  attempts  to  bore,  and  an  approach  within 
ten  miles  to  Cape  Parry,  the  chances  of  further  success  utterly  failed. 
No  course  was  left  but  to  return  to  the  brig,  and  look  forward  to  a 
second  winter.  In  Kane's  journal,  August  18,  he  writes :  "  It  is  horrible 
—  yes,  that  is  the  word  —  to  look  forward  to  another  year  of  disease 
and  darkness  to  be  met  without  fresh  food  and  without  fuel.  I  should 
meet  it  with  a  more  tempered  sadness  if  I  had  no  comrades  to  think 


THE  CRISIS,   AUGUST,   1864.  79 

for  and  protect."  lie  determined  to  place  on  Observatory  Island  a 
large  signal  beacon  or  cairn,  burying  under  it  documents  which,  in  case 
of  disaster  to  the  party,  would  convey  intelligence  of  their  proceedings 
and  fate.  The  beacon  was  erected  on  a  cliff,  upon  a  broad  face  of  rock 
looking  out  upon  the  icj*^  desert.  On  it  were  painted,  in  large  letters, 
the  words,  — 

ADVANCE. 

A.  1).   18.53-54. 

A  pyramid  above  this  was  marked  with  a  cross ;  underneath  were 
placed  the  coffins  of  the  two  dead  seamen.  Near  by,  in  a  hole  in  the 
rock,  a  paper,  enclosed  in  glass,  sealed  in  with  melted  lead,  gave  the 
names  of  the  survivors,  and  the  results  of  the  explorations  which  had 
been  made.  The  party  then  prepared  themselves  for  the  possibility  of 
entire  destruction. 

Yet  some  of  them,  including  Petersen,  who  had  been  out  in  the 
searching  expedition  with  Captain  Penny,  now  believed  that  an  escape 
to  the  South  was  still  practicable,  and  that  the  safety  of  all  would  be 
promoted  by  withdrawal  from  the  brig.  To  detach  any,  Kane  thought 
neither  right  in  itself,  nor  practically  safe;  personally,  it  was  a  "simple 
duty  of  honor  to  remain  by  the  brig  "  till  he  had  proved  the  effect  of 
the  later  tides ;  and  after  that  it  would  be  too  late.  But,  come  what 
might,  he  would  share  her  fortunes.  Yet,  while  he  would  not  detach 
any,  he  did  not  think  he  had  the  moral  right  to  detain  any  through 
a  second  winter.  He  made  a  final  inspection  of  the  ice,  again  deter- 
mined escape  to  be  impossible,  and  then,  calling  all  hands  and  explaining 
to  them  fully  their  true  condition,  strenuously  advised  that  they  should 
forego  the  pcject  of  returning  South,  but  added  that  he  would  freely  give 
permission  to  any  who  were  desirous  to  make  tlie  attempt.  At  the  call 
of  the  roll  each  man  answered  for  himself,  and  eight  out  of  the  seventeen 
survivors  resolved  to  stand  by  the  brig.  On  the  28th,  liberally  supplied 
with  their  portion  of  the  resources,  the  eight  others  moved  off  with 
elastic  step,  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  Hayes,  lea\'ing  the  little  number 
left  behind  to  the  pressure  of  the  thoughts  of  the  waning  efficiency  of 


80  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

all,  the  impending  cold,  dark  night  of  winter,  their  poverty  of  resources,, 
and  the  dreary  sense  of  complete  isolation. 

Dr.  Hayes,  in  his  "Arctic  Boat  Journey,"  published  in  1871,  presents: 
the  following  account  of  their  separation,  with  his  reasons  for  leaving 
the  brig :  "  The  ice  in  the  centre  of  the  channel  had  broken  up,  and 
had  drifted  down  into  Force  Bay.  Escape  for  the  brig  was  hopeless. 
She  could  not  be  liberated.  Either  of  two  courses  was  now  open  to 
us,  —  to  remain  by  the  brig  and  try  in  her  the  chances  of  a  second 
winter,  or  to  seek  safety  in  our  boats  to  the  South." 

"That  everything  possible  had  been  done  towards  the  attainment  of 
the  objects  of  the  cruise,  was  not  doubted  by  any  officer  or  man  of  the 
brig's  company ;  and  certainly  the  character  of  the  commander  might 
itself  have  been  relied  upon  by  them  as  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  th  ■ 
hopelessness  of  future  efforts  when  he  had  renounced  them  as  fruitless. 
The  question  was  simply  when  we  should  set  out  homeward  —  whether 
we  should  pass  the  winter  in  the  vessel  and  start  for  Upernavik  in  the 
Spring,  or  make  the  attempt  without  further  delay.  In  either  case  we 
must  abandon  all  thouglit,  either  of  further  exploration,  or  of  preserving 
the  brig.  The  recent  observations  of  Dr.  Kane  had  been  such  as  to 
prevent  his  detaching  even  an  experimental  party  to  the  South,  so  great 
did  the  perils  of  a  journey  in  that  direction  appear  to  him.  On  the 
other  hand,  so  urgent  were  our  necessities,  and  so  difficult  of  solution 
the  problems  upon  which  depended  the  safety  of  the  persons  under  him, 
that,  although  his  natural  bias  as  commander  inclined  him  to  stay  by 
the  vessel  at  whatever  cost,  yet  he  rightly  considered  it  unjust,  now 
that  the  cruise  was  in  effect  ended,  to  interpose  the  weight  of  his  official 
authority  to  determine  the  choice  of  time  for  our  setting  out.  .  .  . 

"In  addition  to  the  motives  which  influenced  the  resolution  of  others, 
there  were  some  which  had  peculiar  relation  to  myself  as  medical  offi- 
cer of  the  brig.  To  remain  in  her  during  the  coming  winter,  and  thus 
keep  together  so  large  a  number  of  persons  as  the  entire  company,  in 
quarters  so  straitened,  subjected  to  the  worst  causes  of  disease,  without 
the  most  essential  means  either  of  prevention  or  cure,  would,  I  felt 
assured,  convert  the  brig  into  a  mere  hospital,  where  the  most  depress- 
ing influences  must  be  engendered.     Originally  prepared  for  only  a 


THE   SEPARATION,   AUGUST,    1854.  81 

single  winter,  we  had  now  completely  exhausted  our  fuel,  except  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  tons  of  coal,  after  the  consumption  of  wliich  we 
must  break  up  the  ship  ;  and  our  remaining  provisions,  although  ample 
in  quantity  for  the  entire  company  through  the  winter,  consisted 
mainly  of  salted  meat,  which,  from  its  effect  in  producing  and  aggra- 
vating scurvy,  as  shown  by  the  last  winter's  sad  experience,  threatened 
to  be  fatal  to  men  in  our  condition.  If  one-half  the  company  should 
leave  the  vessel  to  try  the  southward  journey  there  would  be  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  men  in  each  party  to  form  a  complete  organization. 
Those  remaining  with  the  vessel  would  have  the  professional  skill  of  Dr. 
Kane,  with  augmented  means  of  health  and  comfort ;  and  the  cause  of 
disease  would  be  proportionally  diminished.  If  the  travelling  party 
should  perish  by  the  way,  the  deaths  would  probably  not  be  more 
numerous  than  if  all  should  continue  together ;  and  whatever  the  fate 
of  that  party,  the  persons  at  the  brig  would  be  in  improved  condition 
in  the  Spring. 

*'  It  was  remembered  by  all  of  us  that  to  make  a  Southward  Journey 
in  boats  to  Upernavik,  rather  than  to  hazard  a  second  winter  in  the  ice, 
had  previously  been  repeatedly  discussed,  as  among  the  alternatives 
which  awaited  us ;  and  it  was  a  subject  long  familiar  to  all  of  us.  If, 
after  the  completion  of  the  Spring  work,  the  season  should  be  back- 
ward, it  had  been  regarded  as  one  of  our  recognized  means  of  safety, 
to  transport  boats  and  provisions  over  the  ice  to  open  water,  and  early 
in  September  to  push  southward.  This  was  one  of  the  considerations 
which  originally  influenced  Dr.  Kane  in  favor  of  wintering  in  Rens- 
selaer Bay. 

"The  failure  of  his  late  expedition  to  Beechey  Island,  and  the  pros- 
pect of  an  early  winter  (for  the  young  ice  was  making  rapidly),  led 
him  to  the  conclusion  which  he  announced  to  his  officers,  namely,  that 
the  pack  in  the  North  Water  which  had  baffled  him  would  still  remain, 
and  would  interpose  an  insurmountable  barrier  to  any  attempt  to 
escape  to  the  South.  This,  however,  he  submitted  to  our  judgments  as 
a  question  upon  which  each  of  us  was  now  called  to  think  for  himself. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  it  was  believed  by  Mr.  Petersen,  whose  long 
experience   of  the   movements  of  Arctic  ice  entitled  his  opinion  to 


82  AMERICAN   EXPLOKATIONS   IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

great  respect,  that  this  North  Water  'pack'  had  never  previously 
been  observed ;  that  it  was  merely  accidental ;  and  that  such  was  the 
rapidity  of  ice  movements,  we  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  it 
would  entirely  disappear  within  two  weeks.  Again :  if  a  party  should 
succeed  in  the  attempt  to  reach  Upernavik  (the  distance  to  which  was 
not  greater  than  that  to  Beechey  Island),  they  would  there  pass  the 
winter,  and  being  directly  in  the  line  of  the  Baffin  Bay  whalers, 
(which  go  annually  within  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  of  Smith  Strait),  they  could  give  information  of  the  condition  of 
the  'Advance,'  and  by  means  of  either  one  of  those  whalers,  or  of  one 
of  the  small  sloops  known  to  be  at  the  Danish  settlements,  communica- 
tion could  be  opened  to  Rensselaer  Harbor." 

The  narrowed  companionship  of  the  company  remaining  on  the  brig 
seems  to  have  aroused  all  their  remaining  energies  in  providing  for 
their  daily  necessities,  Avith  the  cherished  hope  of  better  things  still  in 
store.  The  months  of  September,  October,  and  November  were  filled 
with  the  occupations  of  taking  care  of  the  ship,  and  securing  for  food 
the  bear  and  the  walrus  ;  the  numerous  Arctic  hares  fed  the  few  dogs 
which  were  left.  Kane  himself  found  the  rats  as  an  article  of  diet  less 
inviting,  but  also  less  hurtful  to  health  than  the  liver  of  the  bear. 
They  were  too  numerous  to  permit  anything  to  be  stowed  below  decks, 
destroying  even  the  men's  bedding  in  the  forecastle. 

At  one  time  in  this  dark  period  Morton  and  Hans  tracked  the 
Eskimos  to  Etah,  bringing  back  two  hundred  and  seventy  pounds  of 
walrus-meat  and  a  couple  of  foxes.  A  party  from  that  settlement  had 
previously  made  a  visit  to  the  brig,  committing  a  number  of  acts  of 
theft;  but  the  stolen  goods  had  been  recovered,  the  thieves  punished, 
and  a  treaty  binding  the  Innuits  that  they  would  not  henceforth  steal, 
would  bring  fresh  meat,  sell  or  lend  their  dogs,  and  show  where  game 
could  be  found,  was  now  ratified  by  the  Kab-lu-nahs,  with  the  promise 
that  they  would  not  visit  the  Eskimos  with  any  hurt  or  mischief,  would 
make  them  welcome  aboard  ship,  trade  with  them,  and  make  them 
presents. 

December  8,  Bonsall  and  Petersen,  two  of  those  who  had  left  the 


DR.   HAYES   RETUKNS.  83 

brig  more  than  three  months  before,  were  brought  back  on  the  sledge 
of  the  Eskimos,  and  on  the  12th  Dr.  Hayes  also  came  in.  Riley  had 
returned  five  days  after  leaving.  Dr.  Hayes'  party  had  journeyed 
three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  with  the  thermometer  at  — 50°,  living 
for  more  than  two  months  on  frozen  seal  and  walrus-meat.  The  Eski- 
mos who  accompanied  them  on  the  return  had  been  engaged  from 
different  settlements  on  the  way,  except  the  volunteers  who  added 
tlieraselves  as  they  neared  the  brig,  till  they  numbered  six  drivers  and 
forty-two  dogs.  The  whole  party  of  natives  took  a  sound  sleep  and  a 
continuous  feed  on  the  "  Advance,"  and  passed  off  through  the  hum- 
mocks in  good  spirits,  stealthily  carrying  some  knives  and  forks. 

Within  a  very  few  days  after  leaving  the  brig  the  courage  of  some 
of  those  under  Dr.  Hayes  had  steadily  waned,  a  second  man  having 
started  to  return,  and  a  third  coming  very  near  to  a  like  decision. 
The  remaining  eight  persons  attempted  to  continue  their  Southward 
journey  in  two  boats ;  but  before  reaching  Littleton  Island  every  lead 
was  more  than  once  closed,  and  the  boats  and  cargo  dragged  over  the 
ice.  By  September  6  seventy-five  miles  had  been  made  in  eleven  days, 
and  Baffin's  Bay  opened  before  them  with  the  delusive  promise  of  a 
more  comfortable  journey.  Giving  three  lusty  cheere  for  Upernavik, 
the  whale-boat  and  the  "  Forlorn,"  now  called  the  "  Good  Hope,"  stood 
away  for  Cape  Alexander,  fourteen  miles  distant.  Passing  this  in  a 
dead  calm,  after  a  tempestuous  time,  on  the  8th  of  September  they 
were  on  their  way  to  Northumberland  Island,  but  with  a  pack  around 
them  on  every  side  at  the  mouth  of  Whale  Sound,  the  ice  being  more 
firm  and  secure  than  it  had  been  expected  to  be  found  even  in  Melville 
Bay.  Camping  next  on  the  shore  of  Booth  Bay,  the  little  party  were 
visited  by  sjome  Eskimos  from  Netlik,  and  they  were  compelled  to  take 
uj)  their  abode  at  first  with  them,  and  afterward  within  reach  of  them, 
until  their  return  to  the  "Advance." 

The  whole  story  of  their  absence  has  been  summed  up  in  the  state- 
ment that  they  were  frozen  up  at  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles 
from  the  vessel,  and,  building  at  Booth  Bay,  thirteen  miles  below  Cape 
Parry,  an  Eskimo  hut  in  the  crevice  of  a  rock,  for  three  months  they 
lived  almost  without  fire  or  light,  subsisting  upon  such  small  supplies 


84  AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE    ICE   ZONES. 

of  walrus  meat  as  they  could  procure  from  natives  living  fifty  miles 
distant.  At  times  this  precarious  supply  utterly  failed  them.  Being 
situated  upon  the  most  barren  part  of  this  inhospitable  coast,  they 
were  always  unfortunate  in  their  hunting  excursions,  and  at  one  time 
for  three  weeks  had  nothing  to  eat  but  stone  moss,  scooped  from  the 
snow-covered  rocks.  Fortunately  they  were  spared  the  horrid  alterna- 
tive of  eating  each  other  by  the  timely  appearance  of  the  Eskimos, 
but  at  last  were  driven  by  starvation  to  move  back  toward  their 
vessel,  by  the  aid  of  the  Eskimo  dogs  and  sledges,  making  the  long 
journey  by  moonlight^  with  the  thermometer  never  less  than  70°,  and 
often  85°  below  freezing.  Reaching  Cape  Alexander,  the  entering  Cape 
of  Smith's  Strait,  they  found  an  open  crack  in  the  ice  five  miles  in 
width,  while  numerous  smaller  cracks  broke  up  the  ice  two  miles  to  the 
south  of  it;  and  here,  pushing  forward  at  the  head  of  the  party.  Dr. 
Hayes  attempted  to  leap  one  of  these  cracks,  but  alighting  upon  a 
piece  of  ice  which  he  supposed  to  be  solid,  was  precipitated  into  the 
water,  and  though  rescued  by  his  companions,  was,  in  spite  of  his  bear 
and  seal-skin  clothing,  wet  to  the  skin.  Reaching  the  open  water, 
he  found  the  only  chance  to  pass  the  Cape  was  on  the  ice-foot  (a  mass 
of  ice  glued  up  against  the  rocks)  in  places  not  three  feet  in  width. 
This  the  Eskimos,  accustomed  as  they  were  to  all  sorts  of  peril,  refused 
to  do  until  intimidated  by  Dr.  Hayes's  pistols.  They  crawled  slowly 
round  this  shelf  of  ice,  clinging  to  the  crevices  of  the  rocks  with  their 
naked  hands,  the  water  twenty  feet  vertically  below  them  lashing  the 
icy  shore,  the  thermometer  50°  below  zero,  the  blasts  of  wind  raging 
like  the  voices  of  demons  through  vast  caverns  in  the  rocky  wall  that 
towered  above  them,  whirling  down  sheets  of  crisped  snow  upon  their 
heads;  and,  to  complete  the  horror  of  the  scene,  the  moon  having  set 
behind  the  mountains,  the  water  was  black  as  P^rebus  in  the  gloomy 
shadows,  except  when  broken  by  a  phosphorescent  wave.  They  had 
to  run  fifteen  miles  after  passing  the  Cape  to  reach  the  nearest  Eskimo 
station,  and  Dr.  Hayes  was  only  kept  alive  by  his  driver  pounding  him 
with  his  whip-stock.  As  it  was,  his  body  was  badly  frozen  in  many 
places.  On  the  brig  he  was  in\mediately  cared  for  in  the  kindest  man- 
ner.    Kane  gav*}  up  to  him  his  own  bunk. 


ANOTHER   SLEDGE   TRIP.  86 

The  arguments  which  liave  been  cited  had,  doubtless,  seemed  at  the 
time  not  only  to  justify  the  departure  of  this  party,  but  to  require  it  lor 
the  good  of  all,  and  an  impartial  review  of  their  whole  condition  seems 
to  compel  the  judgment  that  the  Commander  of  the  "Advance,"  though 
exhibiting  at  all  times  a  most  conscientious  desire  for  the  performance 
of  duty  to  each  one  intrusted  to  his  care,  erred  in  not  taking  upon 
himself  the  responsibility  of  a  return  before  the  close  of  the  summer 
of  1854.  The  consciousness  of  an  inability  to  secure  provision  for 
a  second  Arctic  winter,  and  the  diseased  condition  of  the  ship's  party, 
might  have  been  much  weightier  arguments  for  determining  his  course 
than  was  the  merest  possibility  of  saving  the  brig,  or  even  the  more 
tempting  inducements  of  making  further  discoveries.  Certainly,  that 
which  in  the  outset  he  had  set  before  him  as  the  prime  object  of  the 
expedition  —  the  rescue  of  Franklin  —  had  been  taken  out.  of  his  con- 
trol; and  it  was  unfortunately  true  that  he  had  no  second  vessel  on  which 
in  an  emergency  to  fall  back  for  sujjplies,  those  of  the  original  outfit 
too  having  been,  as  will  be  remembered,  very  scanty.  The  history  of 
this  expedition  strikingly  confirms  the  judgment  of  Secretary  Preston 
in  his  instructions  to  the  ttvo  ships  of  the  first  expedition  to  avoid,  if 
possible,  a  second  winter  in  the  ice.  On  the  other  hand,  the  sufferings 
and  forced  return  to  the  ship  by  the  party  under  Dr.  Hayes  would  seem 
to  strengthen  Kane's  judgment,  that  if  all  the  rest  had  accompanied  him 
they  could  not  have  reached  Upernavik  before  the  winter  of  1855. 

As  the  year  closed,  Kane  made  one  more  necessary  sled  journey  in 
the  hope  of  collecting  walrus  beef,  chiefly  for  McGary  and  Brooks,  who 
seemed  rapidly  sinking.  The  only  diet  for  the  trip  was  some  meat 
biscuit,  with  a  few  rats  chopped  up  and  frozen  into  tallow  balls.  The  dogs 
were  fed  on  their  dead  brothers,  one  of  them  dying  in  the  very  act  of  eat- 
ing ;  six  of  the  eight  soon  became  useless.  Both  Kane  and  Petersen  were 
near  losing  their  lives  in  a  hut  of  refuge,  and  as  a  forced  necessity  to 
save  the  dogs  and  themselves,  they  returned  to  the  brig  on  foot,  driving 
the  dogs  before  them.  Their  walk  of  forty-four  miles  in  sixteen  hours, 
"  almost  scudding  before  the  gale,"  closed  their  year  1854. 

The  events  which  filled  the  remaining  time  of  the  expedition,  the 


86  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

rest  of  the  Winter  and  the  Spring  and  Summer  months  until  the  relief 
of  the  party  by  Captain  Hartstene,  September  11,  1855,  were  of  the 
most  sombre  character ;  the  few  reliefs  in  the  dark  picture  being  the 
opportunity  of  a  second  visit  to  the  great  northern  glacier,  now  closely 
observed  by  Kane  ;  the  preservation  of  life  under  the  most  unpromising 
conditions ;  the  heroic  fortitude  shown  by  the  men  under  Kane's  leading 
example ;  and  their  final  rescue. 

January  14, 1855,  Kane  wrote  :  ''  Our  sick  are  about  the- same.  How 
grateful  I  ought  to  be  that  I,  the  weakling  of  a  year  ago,  am  well,  and 
a  helping  man.  But  the  present  state  of  things  cannot  last.  The  sick 
require  meat,  and  we  have  but  three  days'  allowance  —  thin,  chips  of 
raw  walrus,  not  exceeding  four  ounces  in  weight  for  each  man  per 
diem."  He  set  out  to  get  help  from  the  lower  Eskimo  settlement,  but 
again  the  dogs  failed  him,  one  of  the  four  falling  into  frightful  convul- 
sions. Hans,  adventurous  and  buoyant  as  he  usually  was,  cried  like 
a  child,  and  Kane,  sick  and  worn-out,  found  his  own  equanimity  at 
fault.     A  renewed  attempt  under  Petersen  met  with  a  like  failure. 

A   RELIEF   SHIP   PROVIDED. 

At  the  homes  of  the  explorers  in  the  United  States,  when  the  second 
Winter  set  in  without  bringing  home  the  ••'  Advance  "  and  her  crew, 
the  most  serious  alarm  for  their  fate  had  been  felt  by  their  friends. 
The  ordinary  apprehension  of  danger  in  Arctic  service  was  increased 
by  the  experience  of  the  Winter  which  had  passed,  and  the  deficiencies 
of  the  outfit  for  a  second  season  in  the  ice  were  remembered.  Congress 
was  memorialized  by  the  societies  which  had  encouraged  the  undertak- 
ing, and  the  general  sentiment  of  the  people  pressed  upon  their  Repre- 
sentatives for  a  Relief  Expedition  in  the  coming  Spring.  A  Joint 
Resolution  of  Congress,  approved  February  3,  1855,  authorized  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  "  to  provide  and  despatch  a  suitable  naval  or  other 
steamer,  and,  if  necessary,  a  tender,  to  the  Arctic  Seas  for.  the  rescue 
or  relief  of  Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  E.  K.  Kane,  U.S.N.,  and  the 
ofiScers  and  men  under  his  command."  This  was  followed,  March  3, 
by  an  appropriation  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  the 
object  named  in  the  Resolution.     The  bark  "  Release,"  of  Boston,  and 


SURVEY  OF  THE  GREAT  GLACIER.  87 

the  propeller  "Arctic,"  of  Philadelphia,  were  procured,  and  especially 
fitted  and  equipped  for  the  service  under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenant 
Henry  J.  Hartstene,  to  whom  the  command  of  the  expedition  was 
assigned.  Full*  rations  and  extra  provisions  for  two  years,  with  clothing 
adapted  to  an  Arctic  climate,  were  provided,  and  officers  and  men 
selected  by  the  Commander  were  detailed  by  the  Department. 

The  Secretary  was  not  acting  prematurely,  for  the  same  month  of 
March  had  found  Kane's  party  in  no  improved  condition  —  every  man 
on  board  being  tainted  with  scurvy,  and  the  last  remnant  of  fresh  meat 
doled  out.  It  was  not  until  the  15th  that  a  fresh  supply  was  received 
through  another  visit  by  Hans  to  Etah  ;  it  was  renewed  by  a  journey 
by  Kane  himself  to  this  most  northern  Winter  settlement  of  the 
Eskimos,  about  seventy  miles  from  the  brig.  At  that  time  the  natives 
had  just  began  to  hunt  with  avidity,  after  famine  and  disease  had 
reduced  them  to  the  lowest  state  of  misery  and  emaciation. 

The  sun  had  come  back,  February  21,  from  a  disappearance  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  days  below  the  rocky  shadowing  of  the  brig ;  Dr. 
Ha3-es,  through  sickness,  had  not  seen  him  for  five  months  and  two 
weeks. 

With  the  close  of  April  Kane  made  his  last  effort  to  explore  the 
further  shores  beyond  Kennedy  Channel.  He  had  but  four  dogs  left 
out  of  sixty-two,  and  his  Eskimo  friends  had  been  obliged  by  famine 
to  kill  nearly  all  their  own  stock  ;  but  Kane  succeeded  in  securing 
their  assistance  with  three  sleds,  and  pressed  up  high  enough  to 
survey  the  great  glacier  so  graphically  described  in  his  second  volume, 
but  could  not  prevail  on  the  Eskimos  to  make  a  further  northward 
advance. 

When  May  came,  everything  admonished  the  party  that  the  time 
was  at  hand  when  they  must  leave  the  brig,  and  trust  the  floes. 
Preparations  for  this  had  been  making  for  some  time  past,  and  the 
crew  with  the  returning  season  had  now  gained  sufficient  health  to 
complete  them.  On  the  20th  the  whole  ship's  company  brought  to 
Kane  an  engagement  reciting  that  they  fervently  concurred  with  the 


88  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Commander  in  his  attempt  to  reach  the  South  by  boats ;  and  that  they 
had  determined  to  abide  faithfully  by  the  expedition  and  the  sick,  and 
advance  the  objects  in  view.  Their  last  visit  was  now  made  to  the  brig, 
the  flags  were  hoisted  and  then  hauled  down,  and  a  statement  affixed 
to  a  stanchion  near  the  gangway,  showing  the  necessity  for  abandoning 
the  ship,  to  remain  longer  upon  which  could  in  no  manner  advance  the 
search  for  Franklin,  but  only  prove  destructive  to  men  who  had  already 
suffered  from  the  severe  climate  and  disease.  Her  upper  spars,  bulwarks, 
deck  sheathing,  bulkheads,  and  other  parts  had  already  been  consumed 
for  fuel.  She  lay  upon  ice  nine  feet  in  thickness.  The  party  had  two 
whale-boats,  each  twenty-four  feet  in  length,  and  a  light  cedar  dingy 
of  thirteen  feet ;  these  were  mounted  on  runners  eighteen  feet  long, 
shod  with  hoop-iron,  and  lashed  together  so  as  to  form  a  pliable  sledge. 
The  sick  and  the  reserve  of  provisions  were  transported  on  a  sledge  by 
a  team  of  dogs,  Kane  himself  performing  this  office.  The  month  closed 
with  these  occupations. 

On  the  very  last  day,  May,  1855,  "  by  a  coincidence  which  cost  some 
effort  to  bring  it  about,"  precisely  two  j'ears  after  the  sailing  of  the 
party  from  New  York,  Lieutenant  Hartstene's  Relief  Expedition  of  fort}* 
officers  and  men  sailed  from  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard,  pressing  north 
ward  for  the  relief,  while  the  disabled  party  were  forcing  their  suffering 
way  South. 

By  the  middle  of  June  all  of  Kane's  disabled  men,  and  some  twelve 
hundred  pounds  of  stores,  had  been  transported,  by  journeys  of  in  all 
1,100  miles,  to  Annatoah,  their  first  sick  station.  The  U.  S.  Coast- 
survey  theodolite,  the  apparatus  furnished  by  the  American  Philo- 
sophical  Society,  and  the  valuable  library  were  left  behind ;  the  docu- 
ments  of  the  Expedition  were  carried  forward.  June  12,  when  the 
boats  and  sledges  had  come  to  a  halt  in  the  narrow  passage  between 
the  islands  opposite  Cape  Misery,  a  message  from  Dr.  Hayes  reached 
Kane  in  the  "Advance"  boat,  informing  him  that  Christien  Ohlsen 
had  died.  The  body  of  this  tried  and  courageous  man,  sewed  up  in 
his  own  blankets,  was  carried  in  procession  to  the  head  of  a  little 
gorge  on  the  east  face  of  Pekiutlik,  and  by  hard  labor  consigned  to  a 


KLA2fE   AND   HARTSTENE   AT   GODHAVN.  89 

sort  of  trench,  and  covered  with  rocks  for  protection  from  the  fox  and 
tlie  bear.     A  small  tablet  of  lead,  on  which  were  inscribed  — 

CHRISTIEX   OIILSEN. 
Aged  36  years. 

was  laid  on  his  breast.  The  Cape  of  Littleton  Islands  that  looks  down 
on  him  bears  his  name. 

The  Eskimos  of  Etah  faithfully  assisted  the  party  throughout  the 
whole  of  this  heavy  transport  over  the  ice  up  to  the  margin  of  the  floe, 
on  reaching  which  the  boats  were  transported  over  eighty-one  miles  of 
unbroken  ice ;  the  party  had  walked  three  hundred  and  sixteen  miles 
in  thirty-one  days.  From  that  point  the  next  ten  miles  was  run  in  one 
day  under  sail,  when  they  were  again  forced  to  make  alternate  move- 
ments over  ice  and  water.  They  had  perpetual  daylight,  but  halted 
regularly  at  bedtime  and  for  meals.  On  the  lower  part  of  the  journey 
toward  Cape  York,  which  they  reached  on  the  21st  of  July,  they  found 
the  birds  in  abundance,  and  they  succeeded  in  drying  on  the  rocks  for 
the  transit  of  Melville  Bay  two  thousand  pounds  of  the  Lumme.  After 
building  at  the  Cape  a  beacon  cairn,  and  depositing  the  records  of  the 
Expedition,  the  crossing  of  Melville  Bay  was  effected  with  renewed  suffer- 
ing, the  party  being  consolidated  into  two  boats ; — the  third  was  needed 
for  fuel.  August  6,  on  the  eighty-third  day  after  leaving  the  "Advance," 
they  arrived  at  Upernavik,  and  were  welcomed  with  characteristic  hos- 
pitality. Passage  was  immediately  taken  in  the  Danish  brig  "  Mariane," 
its  Comthander  engaging  to  land  them  at  the  Shetland  Islands;  but 
touching  a  few  days  at  Godhavn  on  the  11th,  when  they  were  on 
the  eve  of  setting  out  for  Europe,  the  lookout  man  at  the  hill-top 
announced  a  steamer,  and  when  it  drew  near,  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were 
recognized,  the  boat  "  Faith  "  was  lowered,  with  the  little  flag  that  had 
visited  both  hemispheres  opened  to  the  breeze ;  and  as  Kane's  party 
came  alongside  of  the  "  Release,"  "  Captain  Hartstene  hailed  a  little 
man  in  a  ragged  flannel  shirt,  '  Is  that  Dr.  Kane  ? '  and  with  the  '  Yes,' 
that  followed,  the  rigging  was  manned  and  cheers  welcomed  them  back 
to  the  social  world  of  love." 

October  11,  1855,  Capt.  Hartstene    reported   to    the    Secretary  of 


HARTSTENE'S   IlEPORT.  91 

the  Navy,  from  New  York,  the  arrival  of  the  fifteen  survivors  of  the 
Expedition  on  board  the  two  Relief  vessels ;  stating  in  his  brief  letter 
that  they  had  been  received  on  board  at  Lievely,  after  making  their 
way  down  the  coast  in  boat^  and  sledges  by  unprecedented  energy  and 
determination.  The  "  Release  "  and  the  "  Arctic  "  had  both  proved 
themselves  all  that  could  be  desired,  particularly  the  "Arctic,"  which 
had,  in  addition  to  her  steam  motive-power,  the  qualities  of  a  good, 
weatherly,  moderate-sailing  vessel.  They  had  been  severely  nipped 
and  chafed  by  the  ice,  but  were  generally  in  good  condition. 

The  Commanding  Officer  had  sailed  ^'■untrammelled  hy  any  strin- 
gent instructions "  from  Secretary  Dobbin.*  He  had  experienced  a 
boisterous  outward  passage  of  twenty-seven  days  to  Disco,  with  indi- 
cations there  of  such  a  state  of  the  icy  region  before  them  that  "  in 
order  to  avoid  further  risk  of  human  life  in  a  search  so  exceedingly 
hazardous,"  he  had  there  suggested  to  the  Department,  "the  impro- 
priety of  making  any  efforts  to  relieve  them  if  they  should  not  return, 
—  he  felt  confident  of  the  ability  of  his  officers  to  accomplish  their  own 
release." 

On  the  passage  to  Upernavik  he  had  met  with  two  Scotch  whalers 
from  Aberdeen,  latitude  69°  39',  longitude  63°  30',  and  at  once  hoped  for 
news  of  Dr.  Kane's  party  from  them,  but  was  disappointed.  He  had 
the  opportunity  of  putting  on  board  a  despatch  for  the  Department, 
with  letters.     The  wlialers  said  that  Melville  Bay  was  so  packed  with 

*  Naval  Record  of  the  Officers  of  the  Relief  Ships.  —  Henry  J.  Hartstene 
entered  the  Naval  Service  as  Midshipman  April  1,  1828;  promoted  to  be  Lieutenant,  Feb- 
ruary 23,  184G;  to  be  Commander,  September  14,  1855;  died,  1872.  Charles  C.  Simms, 
commanding  the  "  Arctic,"  entered  the  service  as  Midshipman,  October  9,  1839;  promoted 
to  be  Passed  Midshipman,  July  15,  1845;  to  be  a  Master,  January  15,  1854;  to  be  Lieuten- 
ant, August  12,  1854.  Acting  Master  W.  S.  Ijovell  entered  the  service  November  8,  1847; 
promoted  to  be  Passed  Midshipman,  June,  1853;  to  be  a  Master,  September  15,  1855;  to 
be  a  Lieutenant,  September  16,  1855;  resigned.  May  3,  1859.  Watson  Smith,  Acting  Mas- 
ter, entered  the  service  October  19,  1841;  promoted  to  be  Passed  Midshipman.  August  10, 
1847;  to  be  Lieutenant,  September  15,  1855.  J.  P.  Fyffe  entered  the  service  September  9. 
1847;  promoted  to  be  a  Master,  September  15,  1855;  to  be  a  Lieutenant,  Septemlw^r  16, 
1855;  to  be  Lieutenant-Commander,  July  16,  1862;  to  be  a  Commander,  Docember  7,  1867; 
to  be  Captain,  January  13,  1879.  Harnian  Newell  entered  the  service  September  22,  1849; 
promoted  to  Second  Assistant-Engineer,  February  26,  1851;  to  be  First  Assistant,  May  21, 
1863. 


92  AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

ice  that  all  fishing  ships  had  turned  back  in  despair,  and  that  to 
attempt  its  passage  would  be  to  confront  danger  to  no  purpose.  Hart- 
stene  and  Simms  pressed  forward.  After  mooring  to  bergs  for  some 
days  near  Wedge  Island,  the  ice  without  any  apparent  cause,  except 
the  remarkable  mysterious  currents,  disappeared,  leaving  them  to  steam 
uninterruptedly  into  the  closely-packed  floe  of  Melville  Bay.  In 
twenty-eight  days  more  they  had  crossed  it,  and  were  in  the  North 
Water. 

In  an  article  written  for  "  Putnam's  Magazine  "  for  May,  1856,  Dr. 
J.  P.  Kane,  Acting  Assistant-Surgeon  of  the  "Advance,"  when  de- 
scribing this  crossing,  says :  "•  The  navigation  of  Melville  Bay  is  after 
its  own  kind  and  no  other.  Sometimes  the  nips  would  squeeze  us  like 
a  shellbark  between  a  pair  of  nut-crackers ;  sometimes  all  hands  were 
out  on  the  ice,  towing  like  horses  of  a  canal-boat ;  sometimes  we  would 
make  a  hard  mile  a  day  by  planting  anchors  in  the  ice  ahead,  and  dragging 
ourselves  up  to  them  by  the  capstan,  —  all  hands  at  work,  from  the  cap- 
tain to  the  ship's  cook.  At  other  times  we  would  get  up  steam,  and,  ex- 
cept that  we  might  have  to  butt  our  way  through  one  or  two  projecting 
tongues  of  ice,  we  would  have  an  uninterrupted  run  for  twenty  or  thirty 
miles  on  a  stretch.  All  this  time  Captain  Hartstene  kept  the  deck  with 
untiring  energy,  conning  the  ships,  and  selecting  the  most  favorable  leads 
himself.  His  arm  was  in  a  sling,  as  he  had  received  a  severe  injury  in 
getting  out  coal  in  the  Waigat,  where,  as  usual  with  him,  he  was  bent 
upon  proving  he  could  do  more  hard  work  than  any  two  other  men.  At 
last  he  fell  down  the  companion-ladder  and  sprained  his  ankle,  and  some 
of  his  junior  officers  thought  that  now,  at  least,  they  would  have  a 
chance  to  show  their  skill  in  conning.  But  they  reckoned  without 
their  host.  To  the  surprise  of  everybody  he  limped  on  deck,  ordered 
a  rope  to  be  tied  round  his  body,  and  by  the  aid  of  a  couple  of  sailors 
was  hoisted  to  the  masthead,  from  which  point  he  gave  his  orders  as  if 
nothing  had  happened.  Perched  up  in  a  sort  of  tub,  called  the  crow's- 
nest,  with  a  bowl  of  soup  sent  up  to  him  to  keep  body  and  soul 
together,  there  he  staid  for  thirty-six  hours  on  a  stretch,  with  the  ther- 
mometer below  the  freezing  point,  rather  than  risk  the  torture  of  a 
second  hoisting." 


hartstene's  cairns.  93 

Again  disappointed  by  finding  no  traces  whatever  of  men  at  Cape 
Alexander,  or  at  Sutherland  Island  near  b3%  Hartstene  left  upon  it 
the  following  records,  which,  at  the  later  date  of  August  3,  1876, 
Captain  Allan  Young,  on  his  second  voyage  of  the  "  Pandora," 
found  in  a  pulpy  state  within  a  demolished  cairn.  They  were  still 
decipherable,  and  Captain  Young  forwarded  them  to  the  United  States 
State  Department:  — 

"  Cape  Alexander,  August  16,  1855. 
"  The  United  States  brig  '  Arctic '  departed  from  her  consort,  the 
'  Release,'  on  the  morning  of  the  15th  inst.,  off  Wolstenholme  Island, 
arrived  here  this  day,  and  having  made  unsuccessful  search  for  traces 
of  Dr.  Kane  or  Sir  John  Franklin  and  their  associates,  proceeded 
immediately  on  to  Cape  Hatherton  for  the  same  purpose. 

"  H.  J.  Hartstene, 
'"'•  Lieutenant-Commanding  U.  S.  Arctic  Expedition. 

"  Returned  here  from  Caj^e  Hatherton  August  18,  having  received 

information  from  Eskimos.     Dr.  Kane  had  lost  his  vessel,  and  gone  in 

his  boats.     I  am  going  to  Beechey  Island. 

"Hartstenh." 

"  August  19,  1855. 
"I  have  returned  from  Cape  Hatherton,  and  on  my  way  to  rejoin 
you.     If  I  miss  you,  remain  off  Cape  Alexander  till  I  return. 

"Hautstenk." 

"  United  States  Brig  '  Arctic/ 

Cape  Alexander,  August  16,  1855. 
"Sir, —  Finding  no  traces  of  the  missing  ones,  I  shall  proceed  imme- 
diately to  Cape  Hatherton,  in  continuance  of  the  search,  where  }<>u 
will  join  us.  .  .  .  You  will  re-enter  the  record  of  our  touching  here, 
together  with  another  from  yourself  to  the  same  effect,  all  your  records 
to  be  within  seventy-two  feet  north  by  compass,  on  a  cairn  erected  on 
the  most  conspicuous  and  accessible  point.     Respectfully, 

"H.  L.  Hartstene, 
'■''  Lieutenant-Commanding  Arctic  Expedition. 
"Lieut. -Com.  Charles  C.  Simms,  U.  S.  bark  'Release.' " 


94  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Passing  further  northward,  he  discovered  the  first  signs  of  the 
missing  party  at  Pelham  Point.  These  signs,  however,  were  few  and 
unimportant,  proving  only  Kane's  visit  at  this  place  in  1853.  Deter- 
mining to  push  on  as  far  north  as  possible,  the  Commander  rounded 
this  point,  lat.  78°  32' ;  but  was  then  opposed  by  a  solid  hummocky 
field  of  ice,  without  visible  limit  and  interspersed  with  bergs,  all  drifting 
southward.  He  dropped  with  this  drift  under  sail,  examining  Cape 
Hatherton  and  Littleton  Island,  and  finally  taking  refuge  under  a 
projecting  point  fifteen  miles  northwest  of  Cape  Alexander.  Here  he 
was  first  hailed  by  human  voices.  Conducted  by  two  Eskimos  who 
hady  come  ashore,  the  party  who  landed  paced  along  the  borders  of  a 
finely  sheltered  bay  some  three  miles,  over  an  endless  carpet  of  gay 
poppies  and  other  wild  flowers,  which  formed  patterns  upon  the  soft 
and  pale  green  grass,  and  came  upon  the  Eskimo  settlement  at  Etah, 
—  seven  small  summer  tents  covered  with  canvas,  but  black  with 
crusted  grease  and  dirt.  The  thirty  inhabitants  were  already  assembled 
on  a  green  mound  in  front  of  the  village  to  greet  Hartstene,  Lovell,  and 
Dr.  Kane's  brother,  all  of  them  crying  with  one  word,  hullo !  hullo ! 
and  then  with  a  measured  accent,  "  Docto  Kayen  !  Docto  Kayen ! " 
A  close  examination  of  the  most  intelligent,  aided  by  an  Eskimo 
vocabulary,  brought  out  the  repeated  declarations  that  the  ice  had 
crushed  Kane's  vessel,  and  he  had  gone  south  with  sledges  and  boats. 
May-ouk,  the  Eskimo  examined,  swayed  his  body  backward  and  for- 
ward, drew  the  figures  of  Kane's  boats,  squatted  down,  imitating  the 
gestures  and  nice  of  a  dog-driver,  and  agreed  with  all  the  others  in 
the  number  oi  thr     arty  which  had  gone  south. 

The  relief  ships  leaving  Etah,  stood  over  to  Lancaster  Sound  with 
the  design  of  reaching  Beechey  Island.  But  again  the  ice  debarred 
their  course,  preventing  the  Commander  from  executing  the  com- 
mission of  erecting  on  the  island  the  monumental  tablet  sent  out  by 
Lady  Franklin.  Having  made  the  whole  circuit  of  the  Northern  part 
of  Baffin's  Bay,  except  the  deep  indentation  between  Capes  Comber- 
mere  and  Isabella,  and  having  fruitlessly  examined  Possession  and 
Pond's  Bay,  Hartstene  returned  south  to  Upernavik  and  Disco,  at  the 
latter  place  receiving,  as  has  been  related,  the  missing  explorers. 


REPORT   TO   SECRETARY   DOBBIN.  95 

REPORTED   RESULTS   OF  THE   EXPEDITION. 

In  PZaiie's  final  Report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  he  summarizes 
the  work  of  this  Expedition  by  saying :  "  Greenland  reaches  its  furthest 
western  point  at  Cape  Alexander,  in  the  neighborhood  of  latitude 
78°  10'  N.,  and,  after  passing  longitude  70°  W.  of  Greenwich,  trends 
nearly  due  east  and  west  (E.  20°  N.).  This  northern  face  of  Greenland 
is  broken  by  two  large  bays,  at  the  base  of  which  are  numerous  grani- 
toid islands,  which,  as  you  approach  Ion.  65°  W.,  assume  the  form  of 
an  archipelag( .  Fifteen  islands  were  surveyed  and  located  here.  The 
asi)ect  of  the  coast  is  imposing,  abutting  upon  the  water-line  in  head- 
lands from  eight  hundred  to  fourteen  hundred  feet  high,  and  one  range 
of  precipice  presenting  an  unbroken  wall  of  forty-five  miles  in  length. 
Its  geological  structure  is  of  the  older  red  sandstones  and  Silurian 
limestones,  overlying  a  primary  basis  of  massive  syenites.  The  sand- 
stones to  the  south  of  78°  seem  to  form  the  floor  of  the  bay.  They 
are  in  series,  with  intercalated  greenstones  and  othe  rejected  plutonic 
rocks,  and  form  the  chief  girders  of  the  coast. 

"  The  further  progress  of  our  parties  toward  the  Atlantic  was  ar- 
rested by  a  great  glacier,  which  issued  in  lat.  79°  12'  N.,  Ion.  64°  20'  W., 
and  ran  directly  north.  This  forms  an  insuperable  barrier  to  explora- 
tion in  this  district ;  it  is  continuous  with  the  mer  de  glace  of  interior 
Greenland,  and  is  the  largest  true  glacier  known  to  exist.  Its  great 
mass  adapts  itself  to  the  configuration  of  the  basis-country,  which  it 
overlies.  Its  escarpment  abutting  upon  the  water  presents  a  perpen- 
dicular face,  varving:  from  three  to  five  hundred  feet  in  height. 

'•  The  lines  of  crevasse  and  fracture  are  on  an  unexampled  scale  of 
interest.  The  bergs,  which  are  ejected  in  lines,  arrange  themselves  in  a 
sort  of  escalade,  which  confers  a  character  of  great  sublimity  upon  the 
landscape. 

"  It  was  followed  along  its  base,  and  traced  into  a  new  and  northern 
land,  trending  far  to  the  west.  This  land  I  have  named  Washington. 
The  large  bay  which  separates  it  from  the  coast  of  Greenland  and  tlie 
glacier  I  have  described  bears  on  my  chart  the  name  of  our  liberal 
countryman,  Mr.  Peabodv. 


96  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

"  The  coasts  of  this  new  territory,  adjoining  Peabody  Bay,  have  been 
accurately  delineated  by  two  parties,  whose  results  correspond.  Its 
southwestern  cape  is  in  lat.  80°  20'  N.,  by  observation  with  artificial 
horizon ;  its  longitude,  by  chronometer  and  bearings,  66°  42'  W.  of 
Greenwich.  The  cape  was  doubled  by  William  Morton  and  our 
Eskimos,  with  a  team  of  dogs,  and  the  land  to  the  North  traced  until 
they  reached  the  large  indentation  named  Constitution  Bay.  The 
whole  of  this  line  Avas  washed  by  open  water,  extending  in  an  iceless 
channel  to  the  opposite  shores  on  the  west.  This  western  land  I  have 
inscribed  with  the  name  of  Henry  Grinnell." 

"  The  course  of  this  channel  at  its  southern  opening,  was  traced  by 
actual  survey  in  a  long  horse-shoe  curve,  sharply  defined  against  the 
solid  ice  of  Smith's  Sound,  and  terminating  at  its  extremes  against  two 
noble  headlands  about  forty  miles  apart.  The  western  coast  was  fol- 
lowed in  subsequent  explorations  to  a  mural  face  of  nine  hundred  feet 
elevation,  preserving  throughout  its  iceless  character.  Here  a  heavy 
surf,  beating  directly  against  the  rocks,  checked  our  future  progress. 

"The  precipitous  headland,  the  furthest  point  attained  by  the  party, 
was  named  Cape  Independence.  It  is  in  lat.  81°  22',  long.  65°  35'  W. 
It  was  only  touched  by  William  Morton,  who  left  the  dogs  and  made 
his  way  to  it  along  the  coast.  From  it  the  western  coast  was  seen 
stretching  far  toward  the  north,  with  an  iceless  horizon,  and  a  heav}^ 
swell  rolling  in  with  white  caps.  At  a  height  of  about  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea  this  great  expanse  still  presented  all  the  appearance 
of  an  open  and  iceless  sea. 

"  It  was  approached  by  a  channel  entirely  free  from  ice,  luiving  a 
length  of  fifty-two,  and  a  mean  width  of  thirty-six  geographical  miles. 

"  The  coast  ice  alonor  the  water-line  of  this  channel  has  been  com- 
pletely  destroyed  by  thaw  and  water  action  ;  while  an  unbroken  belt 
of  solid  ice,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  in  diameter,  extended 
to  the  south.  A  gale  from  the  northeast,  of  fifty-four  hours'  duration, 
brought  a  heavy  sea  from  that  quarter,  without  disclosing  any  drift  to 
other  ice.  Dark  nimbus  clouds  and  water-sky  invested  the  north- 
western horizon,  and  crowds  of  migratory  birds  were  observed  throng- 
ing its  waters." 


KANE   ON   THE  "OPEN    POLAR    SEA."  97 

"To  the  northeast  the  coasts  become  mountainous,  rising  in  trun- 
cated cones,  like  the  Magdalena  Cliffs  of  Spitzbergen.  The  furthest 
distinctly-sighted  point  was  a  lofty  mountain,  bearing  N.  5°  E.  (solar) ; 
its  latitude,  by  estimate  and  intersection,  was  E.  2°  30'.  Its  longitude, 
as  thus  determined,  would  give  66°  W.  (approximative)." 

"  The  extension  of  the  American  coast  to  the  southwest  was  the 
work  of  Dr.  Hayes  and  William  Godfrey,  renewed  and  confirmed  by 
myself  in  April  of  the  present  year ;  it  completes  the  survey  of  the 
coast  as  far  as  the  Cape  Sabine  of  Captain  Inglefield.  The  land  is  very 
lofty,  sometimes  rising  at  its  culminating  peaks  to  the  height  of  two 
thousand  five  hundred  feet.  The  travel  along  the  western  and  north- 
western coast  was  made  for  the  most  part  upon  the  ice-foot.  One 
large  bay,  in  lat.  79"  40'  N.,  Ion.  73°  W.,  by  estimate,  extended  forty 
miles  into  the  interior,  and  was  terminated  by  a  glacier.  A  large 
island  occupies  the  southwestern  curve  of  that  bay." 

"The  operations  of  the  Expedition  comprehended  the  survey  and 
delineation  of  the  north  coast  of  Greenland  to  its  termination  by  a  great 
glacier ;  the  survey  of  this  glacial  mass,  and  its  extension  northward 
into  the  new  land  named  Washington  :  the  discovery  of  a  large  chan- 
nel to  the  northwest,  free  from  ice,  and  leading  into  an  open  and 
expanding  area  equally  free,  the  whole  embracing  an  iceless  area  of 
four  thousand  two  hundred  miles ;  the  discovery  and  delineation  of  a 
large  tract  of  land  forming  the  extension  northward  of  the  American 
continent,  and  the  completed  survey  of  the  American  coast  to  the 
south  and  west  as  far  as  Cape  Sabine  :  thus  connects  our  survey  with 
the  last-determined  position  of  Captain  Inglefield,  and  completing  the 
circuits  of  the  straits  and  bay  heretofore  known  at  their  southernmost 
opening  as  Smith's  Sound." 

As  regards  this  "open  and  expanding  iceless  area,"  here  based  by 
Kane  on  Morton's  report,  and  so  often  since  his  day  spoken  of  as  the 
Open  Polar  Sea,  it  is  but  just  to  quote  Kane's  impartial  judgment :  — 

"  Beyond  Cape  Constitution  all  is  surmise.  The  high  ridges  to  the 
northwest  dwindled  off  into  low,  blue  knobs,  which  blended  finely  with 
the  air.  .  .  . 

"An  open  sea  near  the  Pole,  or  even  an  open  Polar  basin,  lias  been 


98  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

a  topic  of  theory  for  a  long  time,  and  has  been  shadowed  forth  to  some 
extent  by  actual  or  supposed  discoveries.  As  far  back  as  the  days  of 
Barentz,  in  1596,  without  referring  to  the  earlier  or  more  uncertain 
chronicles,  water  was  seen  to  the  eastward  of  the  northernmost  cape  of 
Novaia  Zemlia;  and  until  its  limited  extent  was  defined  by  direct 
observation,  it  was  assumed  to  be  the  sea  itself.  The  Dutch  fishermen 
above  and  around  Spitzbergen  pushed  their  adventurous  cruises  through 
the  ice  into  open  spaces,  varying  in  size  and  form  with  the  season  and 
the  winds ;  and  Dr.  Scoresby,  a  venerated  authority,  alludes  to  such 
vacancies  in  the  floe,  as  pointing  in  argument  to  a  freedom  of  move- 
ment from  the  north,  inducing  open  water  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Pole.  Baron  Wrangell,  when  forty  miles  from  the  coast  of  Arctic 
Asia,  saw,  as  he  thought,  a  vast  '  illimitable  ocean,'  forgetting  for  the 
moment  how  narrow  are  the  limits  of  human  vision  on  a  sphere.  So, 
still  more  recently.  Captain  Penny  proclaimed  a  sea  in  Wellington 
Sound,  on  the  very  spot  where  Sir  Edward  Belcher  has  since  left  his 
frozen  ships ;  and  my  predecessor.  Captain  Inglefield,  from  the  mast- 
head of  his  little  vessel,  announced  an  '  open  Polar  basin,'  but  fifteen 
miles  off  from  the  ice  which  arrested  our  progress  the  next  year. 

"  All  these  illusory  discoveries  were  no  doubt  chronicled  with  per- 
fect integrity  ;  and  it  may  seem  to  others,  as,  since  I  have  left  the  field, 
it  sometimes  does  to  myself,  that  my  own,  though  on  a  larger  scale, 
may  one  day  pass  within  the  same  category.'''' 

PREPARATION   OF   HIS   BOOK. 

On  Kane's  return  he  wrote  to  his  old  friend,  Hon.  J.  P.  Kennedy: 
"  My  health  is  almost  absurd ;  I  have  grown  like  a  walrus."  He  set  him- 
self immediately  on  the  laborious  task  of  preparing  the  Narrative  of 
the  Expedition ;  but  the  change  from  an  active  life  to  unremitted 
sedentary  pursuits  soon  told  upon  his  health.  To  carry  through  in  six 
months  nine  hundred  pages  of  book-matter,  supervising  also  three 
hundred  engravings  made  from  his  own  sketches,  and  all  this  com- 
plicated by  incessant  demands  on  his  time  and  toil  by  crowds  of  letters, 
was,  in  his  own  language,  f  no  fun."  In  September  he  wrote  to  Mr. 
Childs,  his  publisher,  "  the  book,  poor  as  it  is,  has  been  my  coffin."    The 


Kane's  arctic  sketches.  99 

sales  of  the  first  year  of  these  volumes  reached  the  number  of  sixty-five 
thousand  copies,  realizing  the  sum  of  sixty-five  thousand  dollars  coi)y- 
right  to  the  author.  A  brief  but  able  review  of  the  work,  written  in 
advance  by  Mr.  Charles  Lanman,  of  Washington,  gave  a  large  impetus 
for  the  demand;  thirty  thousand  persons  entered  their  subscriptions 
before  the  publication  of  the  volumes.  The  success  of  their  issue  has 
not  surprised  those  who  have  shared  in  the  wide  interest  of  Arctic 
Exploration,  nor  even  the  general  reader  outside  of  this  circle.  For 
the  volumes  contain  not  a  single  page  devoid  of  historical  or  scientific 
interest,  and,  although  presenting  the  form  of  a  journal,  are  unusually 
relieved  from  the  rigid  detail  of  an  itinerary.  With  the  transparency 
of  truthfulness  throughout  notes  of  explorations  of  such  value,  the 
explorer  and  writer,  by  his  very  constitutional  peculiarity,  embodied  his 
descriptions  in  poetic  prose,  his  pen  sketching  incidents  of  the  day,  as 
his  pencil  did  the  lights  and  shades  of  scenery  forming  illustrations  of 
the  volumes.  Of  these  sketches  one  of  his  company,  Mr.  H.  Gocdfellow, 
says :  "  They  were  nearly  all  made  on  the  spot,  the  more  elaborate  of 
them  finished  in  the  cabin.  It  is  difiicult  to  conceive  that  the  picture 
of  Sylvia  headland  is  not  engraved  from  a  photograph ;  and  the  por- 
traits of  the  Eskimos  equally  excellent."  Hamilton,  whose  artistic  skill 
largely  increased  their  interest,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Elder,  Kane's  biogra- 
pher, comments  si)ecially  on  "  the  icebergs  near  Kosoak,"  "  the  great 
glacier  of  Humboldt,"  "Weary  Men's  Rest,"  "Beechey  Island,"  and  the 
"  Three  Brother  Turrets,"  and  "  Tennyson's  monument " ;  saying  gener- 
ally of  all,  that  whether  executed  with  every  appliance  or  with  half- 
thawed  ink  and  greasy  paper,  or  paste-board  accidentally  picked  up 
among  the  rubbish  of  the  ship's  store-room,  they  alike  present  the  faith- 
ful record  of  the  most  essential  features  of  the  subject.  The  original 
sketch  of  Tennyson's  monument  is  of  the  slightest  description,  and  in 
lead  pencil. 

"Hamilton  adds,  'Now,  every  one  accustomed  to  study  nature  practi- 
cally is  aware  of  the  extreme  difficulty  of  rendering  the  peculiar  texture 
and  tone  of  old,  time-worn,  weather-beaten  rock,  sandstone,  crushed 
debris,'  etc.  Its  successful  rendition  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  achieve- 
ments of  landscape  art.     In  the  sketch  of  the  subject  alluded  to,  these 


100  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

qualities  (notwithstanding  the  coldness  and  sickness  suffered  at  the  time 
of  executing  it,  mentioned  by  the  lamented  navigator  in  his  journal)  are 
secured  to  an  extent  that  would  be  creditable  to  the  most  skilful  artist ; 
every  fragment  is  jotted  down  with  a  perception  and  feeling  which  seize 
the  special  character  of  the  minutest  particle  defined,  and  yet  its  minu- 
tiffi  in  no  way  conflicting  with  the  grandeur  of  the  subject." 

The  power  of  graphic   description  in  the  writer  himself,  already 

/^       referred  to  in  tlie  notice  of  the  first  Expedition,  is  yet  more  marked 

in  the  two  later  volumes.      The  extracts  here  given  are  descriptive, 

—  the  first  of  a  jaerilous  passage  through  the  floe,  the  second  of  the 

great  glacier  of  Greenland  :  — 

"August  20, 1853,  it  blew  a  hurricane.  We  had  seen  it  coming,  and 
were  ready  with  three  good  hawsers  out  ahead  and  all  things  snug 
aboard.  Still  it  came  on  heavier  and  heavier,  and  the  ice  began  to 
drive  more  wildly  than  I  thought  I  had  ever  seen  it  before.  I  had  just 
turned  in  to  warm  and  dry  myself  during  a  momentary  lull,  when  I 
heard  the  sharp  twanging  snap  of  a  cord :  our  six-inch  hawser  had 
parted,  and  we  were  swinging  by  the  two  others,  the  gale  roaring  like 
a  lion.  Half  a  minute  more,  and  twang,  twang,  came  a  second  report ; 
I  knew  it  was  the  whale-line  by  the  shrillness  of  the  ring.  Our  noble 
ten-inch  manilla  still  held  on,  and  the  crew  were  loud  in  its  praises. 
We  could  hear  its  deep  seolian  chant  swelling  through  all  the  rattle  of 
the  running-gear  and  moaning  of  the  shrouds.  It  was  the  death- 
song.  The  strands  gave  way  with  the  noise  of  a  shotted  gun  ;  and 
in  the  smoke  that  followed  their  recoil  w6  were  dragged  out  by  the 
wild  ice  at  its  mercy.  .  .  . 

"At  seven  in  the  morning  we  were  close  upon  the  piling  masses. 
We  dropped  our  heaviest  anchor  with  the  desperate  hope  of  winding 
the  brig ,  but  there  was  no  withstanding  the  ice  torrent  that  followed. 
We  had  only  time  to  fasten  a  spar  as  a  buoy  to  the  chain  and  let  her 
slip.     So  went  our  best  bower. 

"  Down  we  went  upon  the  gale  again,  helplessly  scraping  along  a 
lee  of  ice  seldom  less  than  thirty  feet  thick.  One  floe  measured  by  a 
line,  as  we  tried  to  fasten  it,  more  than  forty.     One  upturned  mass 


KANE   DESCllIBING    A    STOR]\I.  101 

rose  above  our  gunwale,  smashing  in  our  bulwarks,  and  depositing 
half  a  ton  of  ice  in  a  lump  on  deck.  But  a  new  enemj'  came  in  sight. 
Directly  in  our  way,  just  beyond  the  line  of  floe-ice  against  which  we 
were  alternately  sliding  and  thumping,  was  a  group  of  icebergs.  We 
had  no  power  to  avoid  them;  and  the  only  question  was,  wdiether 
we  were  to  be  dashed  in  pieces,  or  whether  they  might  not  offer  some 
providential  nook  of  refuge  from  the  storm.  .  ,  . 

"A  broad  scone  piece,  or  low  water-washed  berg,  came  driving  up 
from  the  southward.  The  thought  flashed  upon  me  of  one  of  our  es- 
capes in  Melville  lidy ;  and,  as  the  scones  moved  rapidly  close  along- 
side, McGary  managed  to  plant  an  anchor  on  its  slope  and  hold  on  to 
it  by  a  whale-line.  It  was  an  anxious  moment.  Our  noble  tow-horse, 
whiter  than  the  pale  horse  which  seemed  to  be  pursuing  us,  hauled  ns 
bravely  on,  the  spray  dashing  over  his  windward  flanks,  and  his  fore- 
head ploughing  up  the  lesser  ice  as  if  in  scorn.  Never  did  heart-feeling 
men  acknowledge  with  more  gratitude  their  merciful  deliverance  from 
wretched  death.  .  .  .  The  day  had  its  full  trials,  but  more  were  to  come. 
A  flaw  drove  us  our  shelter,  and  the  gale  soon  carried  us  beyond  the 
end  of  the  lead.  We  were  again  in  the  ice.  Our  jib-boom  was  snapped 
off"  in  the  cap ;  w^e  carried  away  our  barricade  and  stanchions,  and 
were  forced  to  leave  our  little  '  Eric,'  with  three  brave  fellows,  out 
upon  the  floes  behind  us.  .  .  . 

"A  little  pool  of  water  at  length  received  us.  It  was  just  beyond 
a  lofty  cape  that  rose  up  like  a  wall,  and  under  an  iceberg  that  anchored 
itself  between  us  and  the  gale.  And  here,  close  under  the  frowning 
shore  of  Greenland,  ten  miles  nearer  the  Pole  than  our  holding-ground 
of  the  morning,  the  men  turned  in  to  rest.  .  .  . 

"As  our  brig,  borne  on  by  the  ice,  commenced  the  ascent  of  the  berg, 
the  suspense  was  oppressive.  The  immense  blocks  piled  against  her, 
range  upon  range,  pressing  themselves  under  her  keel,  and  throwing 
her  upon  her  side,  till,  urged  by  the  successive  accumulations,  she  rose 
slowly  and  as  if  with  convulsive  efforts  along  the  sloping  wall.  Shock 
after  shock,  jarring  her  to  the  very  centre,  she  continued  to  mount 
steadily  on  her  precarious  cradle.  But  for  the  groaning  of  her  timbers 
you  mi^lit  have  heard  a  pin  drop.     And  then  as  she  settled  dowi?  into 


102  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   ICE  ZONES. 

her  old  position,  quietly  taking  her  place  among  the  broken  rubbish, 
there  was  a  deep  breathing  silence,  as  though  all  were  waiting  for 
some  signal  before  the  clamor  of  congratulation  could  burst  forth." 

THE   GREAT   GLACIER. 

The  great  glacier  of  North  Greenland,  approached  by  McGary  and 
Bonsall  in  1853,  was  visited  and  surveyed  by  Dr.  Kane  in  April  of  the 
year  following.  .  .  .  "My  recollections  of  this  glacier  are  very  distinct. 
The  day  was  beautifully  clear,  and  I  have  a  number  of  sketches  made 
as  we  drove  along  in  view  of  its  magnificent  face.  I  will  not  attempt 
to  do  better  by  florid  description.  Men  only  raphsodize  about  Niagara 
and  the  ocean.  My  notes  speak  only  of  the  long  and  ever-shining 
cliff,  diminished  to  a  well-pointed  wedge  in  the  perspective  ;  and  again, 
'  of  the  face  of  glistening  ice,  sweeping  in  a  long  curve  from  the  low 
interior,  the  facets  in  front  intensely  illuminated  by  the  sun.'  But  tliis 
line  of  cliff  rose  in  solid  glassy  wall  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
water  level,  Avith  an  unknown  unfathomable  depth  beneath  it ;  and 
its  curved  face,  sixty  miles  in  length,  from  Cape  Agassiz  to  Cape 
Forbes,  vanished  into  unknown  space  at  not  more  than  a  single  day's 
railroad  travel  from  the  Pole.  The  interior  which  commands,  and 
from  which  it  issues,  was  to  the  eye  unsurveyed  mer  de  glace,  —  an 
ice  ocean  to  the  eye  of  boundless  dimensions." 

"  It  was  in  full  sight, — the  mighty  crystal  bridge  which  connects 
the  two  conjtinents  of  America  and  Greenland.  I  say  continents  ;  for 
Greenland,  however  insulated  it  may  prove  to  be,  is  in  mass  strictly 
continuous.  Its  least  possible  axis,  measured  from  the  line  of  this 
glacier  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  80th  parallel,  gives  a  length  of  more 
than  twelve  hundred  miles,  not  materially  less  than  that  of  Australia 
from  its  northern  to  its  southern  cape.  Imagine  now  the  centre  of 
such  a  continent,  occupied  throughout  nearly  its  whole  extent  by  a 
deep,  unbroken  sea  of  ice,  that  gathers  perennial  increase  from  the 
water-shed  of  vast  snow-covered  mountains,  and  all  the  precipitations 
of  the  atmosphere  upon  its  own  surface.  Imagine  this,  moving  onward 
like  a  great  glacial  river,  seeking  outlets  at  every  fiord  and  valley, 
rolling  icy  cataracts  into  the  Atlantic  and  Greenland  seas,  and  having 


THE  EXPLORATION   COMAIENDED  TO   CONGRESS.  103 

at  last  reached  the  northern  limit  of  land  that  bore  it  up,  pouring  out 
a  mighty  torrent  into  unknown  Arctic  space.  It  is  thus,  and  only  thus, 
that  we  must  form  a  just  conception  of  a  phenomenon  like  this  great 
glacier.  I  had  looked  for  such  an  appearance,  should  I  ever  be  fortu- 
nate enough  to  reach  the  northern  coast  of  Greenland,  but  now  that  it 
was  before  me,  I  could  hardly  realize  it.  I  had  recognized  in  my  quiet 
library  at  home  the  beautiful  analogies  which  Forbes  and  Studer  have 
developed  between  the  glacier  and  the  river ;  but  I  could  not  at  first 
comprehend  this  complete  substitution  of  ice  for  water.  It  was  slowly 
that  the  conviction  dawned  on  me  that  I  was  looking  upon  the  counter- 
part of  the  great  river  system  of  Arctic  Asia  and  America.  Yet  here 
were  nO  water-feeders  from  the  south.  Every  particle  of  moisture  had 
its  origin  within  the.  polar  circle,  and  had  been  converted  into  ice. 
There  were  no  vast  allusions,  no  forest  or  animal  traces  borne  down  by 
liquid  torrents.  Here  was  a  plastic,  moving,  semi-solid  mass,  obliter- 
ating life,  swallowing  rocks  and  islands,  and  ploughing  its  way  with 
irresistible  march  through  the  crust  of  an  investing  sea." 

The  publication  of  Kane's  preliminary  Report  had  sufficed  for  the 
creation  of  an  immediate  and  widespread  interest  in  the  work  which  had 
been  accomplished.  The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  commended  the  results 
of  the  explorations  as  worthy  of  the  attention  and  patronage  of  Con- 
gress, and  spoke  of  the  cruise  as  an  advance  in  the  frozen  regions  far 
beyond  those  of  Kane's  intrepid  predecessors;  adding:  "His  residence 
for  two  years  with  his  little  party  far  beyond  the  confines  of  civiliza- 
tion, with  a  small  bark  for  his  home,  fastened  with  icy  fetters  that 
defied  all  efforts  for  emancipation,  his  sufferings  from  intense  cold,  and 
agony  from  dreadful  apprehensions  of  starvation  and  death  for  that 
space  of  time,  — his  miraculous  and  successful  journey  in  open  sledges 
over  the  ice  for  eighty-four  days,  —  not  merely  excite  our  wonder,  but 
borrow  a  moral  grandeur  from  the  truly  benevolent  considerations 
which  animated  and  nerved  him  for  the  task." 

Immediately  following  the  annual  Report  from  which  this  language 
is  cited,  a  correspondence  had  ensued  between  the  English  Ambassador. 
Mr.  Crampton,   and  the   State  Department,   in   which  Mr.  Crampton 


104  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   JCE   ZONES. 

offered  for  her  Majesty's  Government  its  cordial  congratulations  for 
Kane's  safe  return,  with  the  assurances  of  the  sincere  gratitude  of  the 
Government  and  the  nation  to  him  and  to  Mr.  Grinnell  for  their  gene- 
rous exertions  and  their  liberality,  and  the  best  thanks  to  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  for  affording  aid  to  the  Expedition  in  search 
of  Sir  John  Franklin.  The  further  statement  of  Mr.  Crampton,  that 
her  Majesty's  Government  felt  desirous  to  present  some  acknowledg- 
ment to  Dr.  Kane  and  Mr.  Grinnell  for  their  generous  exertions, 
resulted  in  an  Act  of  Congress  permitting  the  reception  of  such  tokens 
as  her  Majesty's  Government  might  see  fit  to  present  to  Dr.  Kane  and 
the  officers  who  served  with  him  in  that  Expedition.  The  Queen's 
Medal,  commemorative  of  their  services,  was  accordingly  struck  for  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  "  Advance."  To  Mr.  Grinnell  a  large  and  costly 
Silver  Vase  was  presented,  "as  a  token  of  the  sincere  gratitude  and 
esteem  of  the  British  Government  for  his  exertions  and  munificence."  * 
Tlie  Resolution  of  Congress,  of  a  later  date,  authorizing  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  to  cause  to  be  struck  and  presented  to  the  officers  and  men 
such  medals  as  should  express  "the  high  estimate  in  which  Congress 
holds  their  respective  merits  and  services,"  was  unhappily  accom- 
l)anied  by  no  appropriation  to  carry  it  into  effect.  The  Legislatures 
of  Pennyslvania,  New  Jersey,  and  Maryland  unanimously  voted  hand- 
some acknowledgments,  in  the  form  of  Resolutions  communicated  to 
Congress,  the  Executive,  the  officers,  and  the  patrons  of  the  Expedition. 
In  the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  for  the  year  1856, 
and  in  the  Bulletins  of  the  Soci(it^  de  Geographic  of  1858,  will  be  found 

*  At  the  United  States  Centennial  held  at  riiiladelpliia,  1S7(5,  to  the  writer  was 
assigned,  by  the  late  Admiral  Davis,  the  pleasing  duty  of  placing  for  the  United  States 
Naval  Observatory  an  exhibit  of  American  Arctic  Exploration.  In  the  Kane  section  of 
this,  among  a  number  of  otlier  mementoes  of  the  several  Expeditions,  were  placed  Dr. 
Kan»;'s  sextant,  riflo,  furs,  and  kyak  ;  copies  of  the  volumes  of  tlie  two  Expeditions, 
with  the  original  sltetches  finished  by  Hamilton,  loaned  by  Mr.  H.  M.  Grinnell;  the 
boat  "  Faith,"  repaired  at  the  cost  of  Mr.  G.  W.  Childs;  —  and  photographs  of  the  medals 
awarded,  and  of  the  vase  presented  to  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell  by  the  British  Government. 
Mr.  Ainos  IJonsall,  one  of  the  suivivors  of  the  Second  Expedition,  loaned  his  medal 
received  from  the  Queen,  and  Mr.  Patterson,  the  handsome  marble  bust  of  Dr.  Kane. 
The  opportunity  of  the  exliibit  was  secured  by  the  kindness  of  thes('  and  otlier  relatives 
of  the  explorer,  among  whom  were  Mr.  R.  P.  and  General  and  Mrs.  T.  P.  Kane,  and  Mr. 
F.  J.  Dreer  and  Mr.  H.  J.  Taylor. 

I 


DECLINING   HEALTH. 


105 


tlie  Awards  of  their  highest  medals.  Tlie  medal  of  the  London  Society 
was  received  for  Kane  from  Admiral  Beechey,  R.N.,  by  United  States 
Minister  Dallas;  that  of  the  Paris  Society  was  transmitted  to  Dr. 
Kane's  relatives  after  his  death. 


Shortly  after  the  issue  of  Kane's  volumes  from  the  press,  Lady 
Franklin,  in  a  renewed  correspondence,  intimated  her  wish  that  he 
equip  another  expedition,  of  which,  by  consent  of  the  Admiralty,  he 
was  to  take  command ;  but,  by  the  advice  of  Mr.  Kennedy  and  other 
friends,  he  reluctantly  declined  the  honor,  saying  of  his  mother's  desire 
that  he  should  abandon  it,  "Otiicr  persuasion  I  can  resist,  but  tliis 
settles  the  question."  In  the  weary  search  for  health  he  sailed  for 
England,  where  he  received  much  kind  attention,  but  almost  immedi- 
ately found  his  strength  plainly  on  the  decline.  November  17,  he 
returned  to  America  by  way  of  Havana,  at  which  city  he  breathed 
his  last,  February  10,  1857. 

Perhaps  no  citizen  acting  as  Dr.  Kane  had  acted,  chiefly  in  the 
private  capacity  of  an  explorer  and  traveller,  has  received  greater 
tributes  of  respect  during  his  life  or  at  death.  At  Havana  his 
remains,  followed  by   more  than  eight  hundred  of  the   military  and 


106  A]VIEIiICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

citizens,  were  received  by  the  Governor  of  the  city  and  his  suite,  and 
escorted  to  their  embarkation  for  New  Orleans,  and  at  that  city,  Louis- 
ville, Cincinnati,  Columbus,  Baltimore,  and  Philadelphia  full  honors 
were  rendered  by  very  large  military  and  civic  processions.  In  the 
last-named  city  the  remains  lay  in  state  in  Independence  Hall  until 
the  final  obsequies  at  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  which  his 
parents  were  members,  and  in  which  he  had  been  baptized.  Among 
the  pall-bearers  were  his  life-long  friend,  Mr.  Grinnell;  Mr.  Pea- 
body,  also  invited  to  this  duty,  unhappily  had  not  received  his.  in- 
vitation. 

Dr.  Kane's  religious  belief  was  not  only  decided,  but  frequently 
expressed  in  the  most  public  and  fitting  manner.  His  life  was  fall  of 
confidence  in  God.  Journalizing  the  incidents  of  a  day  of  severe 
trial,  he  wrote:  "I  never  lost  my  hope;  I  looked  to  the  coming  spring 
as  full  of  responsibilities,  but  I  had  bodily  strength  and  moral  tone 
enough  to  look  through  them  to  the  end.  A  trust  based  on  experience 
as  well  as  on  promises  buoyed  me  up  at  tlie  worst  of  times.  Call  it 
fatalism,  as  you  ignorantly  may,  there  is  that  in  the  story  of  every 
eventful  life  which  teaches  the  inefficiency  of  hilman  means  and  the 
present  control  of  a  Supreme  agency.  See  how  often  relief  has  come 
at  the  moment  of  extremity,  in  forms  strangely  unsought,  —  almost, 
at  the  time,  unwelcome  ;  see,  still  more,  how  the  back  has  been  strengtli- 
ened  to  its  increasing  burden,  and  the  heart  cheered  by  some  con- 
scious influence  of  an  unseen  Power." 

Setting  out  on  the  return  journey  home,  among  the  duties  estab- 
lished by  precise  regulations  were  "daily  prayers,  both  morning  and 
evening,  all  hands  gathering  round  in  a  circle  and  standing  uncov- 
ered." Of  this  exercise  Wilson,  one  of  the  party,  says :  "  While  the 
rest  of  the  party  surrounded  the  sledge  with  uncovered  heads.  Dr. 
Kane  rendered  thanks  to  the  great  Ruler  of  human  destinies  for  the 
goodness  he  had  evinced  in  preserving  our  lives  while  struggling  over 
the  ice-desert,  exposed  to  a  blast  almost  as  withering  as  that  from  a 
furnace.  Our  Commander  poured  forth  ready  and  eloquent  sentences 
of  gratitude  in  that  lonely  solitude,  whose  scenery  offered  nothing  to 
cheer  the  mind  and  everything  to  depress  it." 


DR.  kane's  death.  107 

In  the  near  approach  of  death  he  was  tranquil  and  composed. 
Every  day  —  "two  or  three  times  everyday  —  he  must  hear  the  words 
of  life  from  the  lips  of  her  who  had  taught  his  own  to  lisp  his  infant 
prayer ; "  and  if  Morton's  kind  occupations  around  his  bedside  in- 
terrupted her,  he  always  expressed  his  fixed  interest  in  his  mother's 
readings  by  saying,  "  Go  on,  mother ;  never  mind  Morton." 


The  two  Grinnell  Expeditions,  which  have  now  been  presented, 
have  shown  but  little  realization  of  the  hopes  entertained  at  their  sail- 
ing, so  far  as  the  relief  of  Franklin  was  part  of  their  purpose.  Lieut. 
DeHaven  would  doubtless  have  secured  further  results  but  for  the 
strange  non-existence  of  any  of  those  documents  which  it  was  to  be 
expected  that  such  an  officer  as  Franklin  would  have  deposited  in  some 
cairn  in  the  Arctic  regions.  If  deposited,  they  were  destroyed  by  the 
Eskimos.  Dr.  Kane  was  cut  off  from  the  possibility  of  even  crossing 
over  to  the  east  coast  by  the  fickle  ice  and  the  intense  sufferings  of 
disease  and  want.  But  these  overruling  circumstances  detract  nothing 
from  the  worthiness  of  the  original  purposes  of  these  expeditions,  or 
from  the  fidelity  of  the  officers  and  men  engaged  in  them.  Still  less 
can  they  diminish  the  honor  of  the  discoveries  claimed  and  rightfully 
vindicated  by  Kane  and  by  that  faithful  archivist,  the  late  Col.  Peter 
Force,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  or  the  value  of  the  explorations  and 
surveys. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

EXPLORATIONS   OF   LIEUT.  JOHN    RODGEKS,  U.  S.  N. 

THE  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  "  VINCENNES  "  A  PART  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES  EXPEDITION  UNDER  COMMANDER  RINGGOLD.  —  APPROPRIA- 
TION BY  CONGRESS.  —  OBJECTS.  —  SECRETARY  KENNEDY'S  INSTRUC- 
TIONS.—  SICKNESS  OF  COMMANDER  RINGGOLD.  —  LIEUTENANT  RODG- 
ERS  SUCCEEDS  TO  THE  COMMAND.  —  LOSS  OF  THE  ''PORPOISE."  — 
THE  "VINCENNES"  LEAVES  HONG  KONG  FOR  HER  ARCTIC  CRUISE. — 
ARRIVES  AT  PETROPAULOVSKI. — CONDITION  OF  THE  TOWN.  —  EN- 
TERS BEHRING  STRAITS.  —  LEAVES  A  PARTY  UNDER  LIEUTENANT 
BROOKE  AT  GLASSENAPP. —  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  NATIVES. 
—  THE  "VINCENNES"  IN  THE  ARCTIC  SEA.  —  ANCHORS  IN  LATITUDE 
72°  5'  NORTH.  —  SAILS  OVER  THE  TAIL  OF  HERALD  SHOAL  AND  LO- 
CATES HERALD  ISLAND.  —  CAN  SEE  NO  TRACE  OF  PLOVER  ISLAND.  — 
APPROACHES  WRANGELL  LAND.  —  RETURNS  TO  ST.  LAWRENCE  BAY 
AND  GLASSENAPP  FOR  LIEUTENANT  BROOKE's  PARTY.  —  ARRIVES 
AT  SAN  FRx\NCISCO  OCTOBER  13,  1855.  —  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  PUB- 
LICATION   OF    THE    FULL    NARRATIVE. 

WHILE  Lieutenant  Hartstene  was  nearing  the  port  of  New 
York  with  the  rescued  party  of  Dr.  Kane  on  board  the 
"  Release,"  tlie  "  Viiicennes,"  under  Commander  John  Rodg- 
ers,  was  returning  from  a  cruise  in  the  Arctic  Seas  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Continent.  The  ship  came  into  San  Francisco  October  15, 
1855,  two  days  after  the  arrival  of  Kane  at  the  Brooklyn  navy-3^ard. 

The  very  important  explorations  and  surveys  made  on  this  cruise 
were  in  the  prosecution  of  the  original  plans  of  the  United  States  Sur- 
veying and  Exploring  Expedition  which  had  left  the  United  States 
under  Commander  Cadwalader  Ringgold,  in  the  year  1853.  For  this 
Expedition,  Congress,  by  a  section  of  the  Naval  Appropriation  Bill, 
had  appropriated  the  sum  of  one  liundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars,  for  the  building  and  purchase  of  suitable  vessels,  and  for  the 
prosecution  of  a  survey  and  recoinioissance  for  naval  and  commercial 

108 


OBJECTS    OF   THE    EXPEDITION.  10J> 

purposes,  of  such  parts  of  Beliring  Straits,  of  the  North  Pacific  Ocean, 
and  of  the  China  Seas  as  are  frequented  by  American  ships  and 
trading  vessels. 

The  Expedition  consisted  of  the  sloop-of-war  "Vincennes,"  the 
screw  steamer  "  John  Hancock,"  the  brig  "  Porpoise,"  the  schooner 
"J.  Fenimore  Cooper,"  and  the  store-ship  "J.  P.  Kennedy."  Lieu- 
tenant John  Rodgers,  then  on  duty  under  the  Coast  Survey,  was 
detached  and  ordered  to  command  the  "  Hancock,"  at  the  request  of 
Commander  Ringgold,  who  accepted  his  offer  as  a  volunteer,  and  cor- 
dially recommended  him  to  the  Navy  Department.  The  Commander 
himself  had,  from  the  beginning  of  the  proposition  for  the  survey,  man- 
ifested great  interest  in  it,  having  been  on  duty  with  the  Expedition 
under  Lieutenant  Wilkes  in  the  South  Seas,  in  the  years  1838-1842. 

The  squadron  sailed  from  Norfolk  June  11,  1853.  The  primary 
object  of  the  Expedition,  laid  down  in  the  instructions  of  Secretary 
Kennedy,  was  the  promotion  of  the  great  interests  of  commerce  and 
navigation,  as  referred  to  in  the  Act  of  Congress;  special  attention 
being  also  directed  to  the  increasing  importance  of  the  whale  fisheries 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Behring  Strait.  The  thorough  examination  of 
that  great  outlet  was  expected,  as  well  as  that  of  the  adjacent  coasts 
of  North  America  and  Asia,  including  the  Seas  of  Behring  and  Anadir, 
and  the  Aleutian  archipelago,  with  the  east  coast  of  Kamtschatka. 
The  Commander  was  authorized  to  go  as  far  north  as  he  should  think 
proper,  and  devote  as  much  time  to  the  complete  performance  of  any 
part  of  the  work  as  should  be  necessary ;  but  was  instructed  also  to 
take  all  occasions  not  incompatible  with  these  high  objects,  for  the 
extension  of  the  boundaries  of  scientific  research.  For  the  conduct  of 
such  research,  and  for  experiments,  no  special  instructions  were  laid 
down,  nor  were  the  Nav.al  Officers  or  the  Scientists  of  the  Expedition 
limited  in  these  to  their  respective  special  spheres.  All  were  expected 
to  co-operate  harmoniously  in  the  prosecution  of  physical  investiga- 
tions, embracing  those  of  temperature  at  different  elevations  and  in 
different  latitudes,  with  specific  references  to  barometrical,  hygro- 
metric,  and  mometric  observations,  and  those  of  the  aurora  borealis,  of 
parhelia,  and  the  mirage.     Eminent  naturalists  were  to  be  attached  tf> 


110  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

tlie  Expedition,  and  suggestions  offered  by  the  chief  Philosophical, 
Scientific,  and  Literary  institutions  of  the  United  States  made  part  of 
the  instructions.  Mr.  William  Stimpson  was  appointed  to  be  the  Natu- 
ralist of  the  Expedition ;  Mr.  E.  W.  Kern,  its  artist ;  Mr.  C.  Wright, 
botanist ;  Mr.W.D.  Stuart,  secretary  and  draughtsman ;  and  Mr.  Anton 
Schoenborn,  instrument-maker. 

In  regard  to  this  Expedition,  as  well  as  Dr.  Kane's,  that  under  the 
command  of  Commodore  Perry,  and  the  expedition  to  the  Paraguay 
waters  by  the  "Water-witch,"  under  Lieutenant  Page,  a  distinguished 
Naval  Officer,  is  quoted,  in  Tuckerman's  life  of  Secretary  Kennedy,  as 
saying  that  all  were  either  the  inception  of  the  Secretary  himself,  or  as 
having  received  from  him  such  intelligent  recognition  and  support  as 
to  have  made  its  impress  upon  not  only  our  own  history,  but  on  that  of 
other  nations.  In  Mr.  Kennedy's  Annual  Report  of  December  2, 1852, 
he  had  expressed  his  interest  in  the  relations  of  the  Navy  to  such  objects, 
by  saying  that  "the  constant  employment  of  ships  and  men  in  the  pro- 
motion of  valuable  public  interests,  whether  in  defence  of  the  honor 
of  our  flag  or  the  exploration  of  the  field  of  discovery  and  the  opening 
of  new  channels  of  trade,  or  in  the  enlarging  of  the  boundaries  of 
science,  will  be  recognized  both  by  the  Government  and  the  people  as 
the  true  and  proper  vocation  of  the  Navy ;  and  as  the  means  best  cal- 
culated to  nurse  and  strengthen  the  gallant  devotion  to  duty  which  is 
so  essential  to  the  character  of  accomplished  officers  and  so  indispen- 
sable to  the  effectiveness  of  the  Naval  Organization."  From  the  outset 
of  his  administration  of  the  Navy  Department  his  journal  indicates  the 
greatest  activity,  and  he  notes  with  obvious  zest  his  arrangement  for 
these  expeditions.  The  outfit,  manning,  and  instructions  were  both 
liberal  and  sagacious,  and  their  respective  Commanders  warmly  ac- 
knowledged their  obligations  for  his  scientific  zeal  as  well  as  official 
courtesy. 

Commander  Ringgold  was  advised  that  the  resident  Russian  Min- 
ister had  tendered  the  assurance  of  an  interest  felt  by  his  Government 
in  the  Expedition,  which  might  expect  assistance,  hospitalities,  and 
refreshments  whenever  needed  within  the  Russian  domain.  An  ex- 
ploiing   squadron   from   that   Government  was   announced   as   about 


ROUTE   OF   THE   SQUADRON.  Ill 

setting  out.  Russian  Charts  of  regions  to  be  visited  would  be  cour- 
teously offered. 

The  ships  named  above  proceeded  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  via 
Madeira  and  the  Cape  de  Verde  Isles.  In  the  early  part  of  November 
the  ''  Hancock,"  the  "  Fenimore  Cooper,"  and  the  store-ship  sailed  for 
Batavia,  and  the  "Vincennes"  and  "Porpoise"  to  Hong  Kong,  via 
Australia.  After  a  survey  of  Caspar  Straits  and  other  localities,  in 
July  the  squadron  reunited  at  Hong  Kong. 

In  the  month  of  August  of  the  following  year,  1854,  a  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  Expedition  became  necessary,  the  failing  health  of  Com- 
modore Ringgold  requiring  his  return  to  the  United  States;  the 
command  devolved  upon  Lieutenant  John  Rodgers,  the  next  in  rank. 
After  his  transfer  to  the  command  of  the  "  Vincennes,"  the  complement 
of  his  officers  for  the  cruise  consisted  of  Acting  Lieutenant  John  M, 
Brooke,  Astronomer ;  Acting  Lieutenants  Francis  A.  Roe,  Thomas 
Scott  Fillebrown,  John  H.  Russell,  and  Fleet  Surgeon  William  Grier, 
Assistant  Surgeon  W.  L.  Nichol,  and  Purser  W.  B.  Boggs ;  with  the 
Corps  of  Scientists  already  named.* 

Early  in  September  of  the  same  year,  the  "  Vincennes,"  Commander 
Rodgers ;  the  steamer  "  John  Hancock,"  Acting  Lieutenant  Henry  K. 

♦"Vincennes"'  Officers  Naval  Kecokd. — Lieutenant  commanding,  John 
Rodgers,  warranted  midshipman,  April  18,  1828;  promoted  to  be  passed  midshipman, 
Jmie  14,  18^34;  to  be  lieutenant,  Jan.  28,  1840;  to  be  commander,  Sept.  14,  1855;  to  be 
captain,  July  16,  1862;  to  be  commodore,  June  17,  1863;  to  be  rear  admiral,  Dec.  31,  1869; 
died  at  Washington,  May  5,  1882.  Acting  lieutenant,  .John  M.  Brooke,  warranted  mid- 
shipman, March  3,  1841;  passed  midshipman,  Aug.  10,  1847;  master  (in  the  line  of 
promotion).  Sept.  14,  1855;  lieutenant,  Sept.  15,  1855;  tendered  resignation  and  left 
the  service,  April  20,  1861.  Acting  lieutenant,  F.  A.  Roe,  warranted  midshipman,  Oct. 
19,  1841;  passed  midshipman,  Aug.  10,  1847;  lieutenant,  Sept.  14,  1855;  lieutenant  com- 
mander, July  16,  1862;  commander,  July  25,  1866;  captain,  April  1,  1872;  commodore, 
Nov.  26,  1880.  Acting  lieutenant,  John  H.  Russell,  warranted  midshipman,  Sept.  10, 
1841;  passed  midshipman,  Aug.  10,  1847;  master,  Sept.  14,  1855;  lieutenant,  Sept.  15, 
18-55;  lieutenant  commander,  July  16,  1862;  commander,  Jan.  28,  1867;  captain,  Feb. 
12,  1874.  Acting  lieutenant,  Thomas  Scott  Fillebrown,  warranted  midshipman.  Oct.  19. 
1841;  passed  midshipman,  Aug.  10, 1847;  master,  Sept.  14, 1855;  lieutenant,  Sept.  15, 1855: 
lieutenant  commander,  July  16,  1862;  commander,  July  25,  1866;  captain,  .Jan.  6,  1874; 
conmiodoro.  May  7,  1883.  Wm.  Grier,  assistant  surgeon,  March  7,  1838;  passed  assistant 
surgeon.  April  14,  1852;  medical  director,  March  3,  1871;  surgeon-general,  Jan.  30,  1877; 
retired,  Oct.  5,  1878;  W.  L.  Xichol,  asst.  surg.,  June  28,  1852;  resigned  Xov.  21,  1855; 
W.  B.  Bo^s,  purser,  Xov.  30,  1852;  pay  director,  March  3,  1871. 


112  AMEEICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IX   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Stevens ;  the  "  Porpoise,"  Acting  Lieutenant  William  K.  Bridge  ; 
and  the  "  Fenimore  Cooper,"  Acting  Lieutenant  William  Gibson, 
sailed  from  Hong  Kong.  The  "John  Hancock"  and  "Fenimore 
Cooper,"  sailing  September  9,  were  sent  to  the  Peilio  River  in  con- 
nection with  the  visit  and  negotiations  of  United  States  Minister 
McLane.  While  so  engaged,  important  surveys  were  made  in  that 
region.  When  their  presence  was  no  longer  required  by  Minister 
McLane,  they  surveyed  the  western  coast  of  Formosa. 

The  "  Vincennes  "  and  "  Porpoise  "  sailed  from  Hong  Kong  on  the 
12th  of  September  for  a  survey  of  the  Bonin  Isles,  Ladrone,  Loo-choo, 
and  the  islands  west  and  south  of  Japan,  and  returned  to  Hong  Kong  in 
February,  1855,  with  the  exception  of  the  brig  "  Porpoise,"  which  parted 
company  from  the  "  Vincennes  "  September  21,  1854,  in  mid-channel, 
between  Formosa  and  China  to  the  northward  and  westward  of  the 
Pescadores.  The  brig,  with  every  soul  on  board,  perished.  She  was 
to  have  met  the  "  Vincennes "  at  the  Bonin  Isles,  and  Commander 
Rodgers  waited  for  her  there  beyond  the  appointed  time.  As  there 
were  grounds  for  appreliension  of  her  safety,  since  both  the  "Vin- 
cennes "  and  the  "  Porpoise  "  had  struggled  together  with  the  storm  of 
the  date  named,  Commander  Rodgers  went  in  search  of  her,  visiting 
the  Loo-choo  and  other  islands  and  places  where  it  was  thought  pos- 
sible she  might  have  been  driven  by  the  gale ;  and  afterward  the 
"  Hancock "  and  "  Cooper  "  thoroughly  explored  the  island  of  For- 
mosa, but  without  the  slightest  intelligence  of  the  ill-fated  brig. 

Referring  to  her  loss  in  his  Report  of  December  2, 1854,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  said  of  her  officers:  "  They  were  all  young,  energetic,  and 
full  of  professional  pride.  The  service  in  this  calamity  has  met  with  a 
severe  loss."  The  officers  referred  to  were  Acting  Lieutenants  W.  K. 
Bridge,  Wm.  Reiley,  S.  J.  Bliss,  and  W.  W.  Van  Wyck ;  Midshipman 
G.  F.  Baber;  Assistant  Surgeon  J.  H.  Stuart,  and  Captain's  clerk, 
S.  J.  Potts,  Jr. 

In  Lieutenant  Habersham's  volume,  entitled  "  My  Last  Cruise," 
Lieutenant  Brooke  will  be  found  to  have  communicated  this  account 
of  the  sad  disaster  :  — 

"  The  two  vessels  in  company  were  struggling  with  the  northeast 


I  LOSS   OF  THE   "PORPOISE."  113 

monsoons  in  the  China  Sea.  Occasionally  the  veering  wind  and 
changing  barometer  indicated  the  passage  of  a  cyclone.  The  increasing 
fury  of  the  wind,  and  these  indications  governed  the  courses  of  the 
vessels.  At  length  they  found  themselves  between  Formosa  and  the 
main,  and  during  the  night  of  the  20th  of  September  they  held  on 
near  mid-channel ;  but  in  the  morning  the  '  Vincennes,'  then  to  lee- 
ward, bore  up  for  the  Bashee  passage.  It  was  presumed  that  the 
'  Porpoise  '  would  follow. 

"While  the  'Vincennes  '  was  thus  running  before  the  wind,  towing 
hawsers  astern  to  break  the  sea  should  she  cross  the  banks,  the  '  Por- 
poise '  was  enveloped  in  a  driving  mist  and  lost  to  sight.  This  separa- 
tion was  regarded  as  of  little  moment,  for  the  brig  was  well-manned, 
and  her  officers,  individually  and  collectively,  were  men  of  the  first 
ability  and  courage :    you  knew  them  all. 

"  It  is  generally  understood  by  seamen  that  sound  vessels  are  safer 
alone  than  in  company ;  for  the  whole  attention  of  the  commander  may 
be  devoted  to  the  care  of  his  vessel  without  those  modifications  of  plan 
required  when  acting  in  concert.  In  those  seas  the  obscurity  of  the 
night  rendered  it  difficult  to  distinguish  lightt  and  the  sound  of  cannon 
would  be  lost  in  the  roaring  of  the  wind  and  waves.  Therefore  neither 
surprise  nor  special  anxiety  was  experienced  on  that  occasion. 

"  The  '  Vincennes,'  having  passed  the  Bashee  passage,  entered  the 
Pacific,  and,  until  her  arrival  at  the  Bonin  Islands,  experienced  fine 
weather.  The  arrival  of  the  '  Porpoise  '  —  a  duller  sailor  —  was 
daily  expected.  Meanwhile  there  came  on,  at  nighty  one  of  those  char- 
acteristic storms  of  the  Bonin,  —  a  hurricane  or  cyclone.  It  came 
unheralded,  except  by  the  slightly  increased  sound  of  the  surf  on  the 
outer  rocks ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  fitful  gusts  that,  by  their  peculiar 
tone  are  recognized  by  those  who  have  heard  it,  swept  from  the  hills 
over  the  ship,  that  we  were  aware  of  its  proximity.  Nearly  shut  in  by 
mountains,  the  'Vincennes,'  with  lower  yards  and  topmasts  struck, 
and  four  anchors  down,  trembled  from  the  vibration  of  the  masts  and 
rigging.  There  was  no  shrill  whistling  of  the  wind,  but  a  deep  and 
hollow  roar ;  the  crests  of  the  waves  were  caught  up  and  whitened  the 
air  with  drift.     The  falling  barometer  and  the  veering  wind  presented 


114  AMEKICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

all  the  indications  of  a  cyclone  sweeping  towards  the  north.  It 
was  remarked  by  the  ablest  seamen  of  the  'Vincennes'  that  she, 
good  sea-boat  as  she  was,  would  scarcely  have  survived  the  hurri- 
cane at  sea. 

"In  the  confined  China  Sea,  — near  the  Pescadores,  the  wind  blowing 
toward  the  coast  of  China,  —  it  would  be  singular,  indeed,  if  no  vestige 
of  a  ship  wrecked  or  lost  there  should  be  found.  It  is  not  probable 
that  the  '  Porpoise '  was  lost  until  she  reached  the  vicinity  of  the 
Bonins.  "She  bore  the  character  of  a  good  sea-boat,  but  was  short 
and  deep  in  the  waist,  therefore  liable  to  broach  to,  or  to  be  brought 
by  the  lee  to  fill  and  founder." 

In  March,  1855,  the  Expedition  again  left  Hong  Kong  for  surveying 
purposes.  After  surveying  the  west  coast  of  Formosa,  the  "  Vincennes," 
the  "  Cooper,"  and  the  "  John  Hancock  "  proceeded  to  Loo-choo,  where 
the  three  vessels  together  began  the  surveys  between  that  island  and 
Japan.  Passing  on  to  Simoda,  Japan,  the  surveys  were  co^tinued;  the 
"  Cooper"  exploring  the  western  coast  of  Niphon,  and  the  "Vincennes" 
and  the  "  Hancock  "  that  part  of  the  sea  lying  in  the  path  of  vessels  near 
the  east  coast,  while  the  launch  of  the  "Vincennes"  under  Lieutenant 
Brooke  made  a  running  survey  of  the  coast  from  Simoda  to  Hakodadi. 
From  Hakodadi  the  "  Hancock  "  proceeded  to  survey  the  Ochotsk  Sea, 
and  the  "Cooper"  to  explore  the  northern  Japanese  and  Fox  and 
Aleutian  islands.  The  "  Vincennes "  sailed  for  Kamchatka  to  begin 
thence  her  Arctic  cruise. 

THE   ARCTIC   EXPLORATION. 

Of  the  most  important  and  permanently  valuable  work  of  the 
northern  cruise  by  the  "  Vincennes,"  it  remains  as  yet  a  matter  of 
universal  regret  that  no  official  or  other  narrative  has  been  published. 
In  the  report  of  Secretary  Toucey  of  December,  1857,  he  said :  "  The 
work  of  publishing  the  survey  of  the  late  Expedition  to  the  North 
Pacific  and  Behring  Straits  under  Commander  Rodgers,  is  rapidly  ad- 
vancing; engagements  have  been  made  with  eminent  professors  in 
the  various  branches  of  natural  history,  describing  the  most  important 
specimens  brought  home  by  tlie  Expedition.     A  portion  of  the  hydro- 


SURVEYS   BY   THE   "  VINCENNES."  115 

graphical  work  is  in  the  hands  of  the  engraver,  the  rest  is  in  a  state  of 
forwardness." 

The  hydrographic  work  here  alluded  to  is,  however,  all  that  has 
appeared.  The  charts  issued  by  the  United  States  Hydrographic  Office, 
Washington,  are  memorials  worthy  of  the  cruise,  of  the  Navy,  and  of  the 
officers  who  executed  the  surveys.  Of  the  Rodgers  chart,  —  the  track  of 
the  "  Vincennes,"  and  her  route  through  Behring  Sea  and  the  Arctic 
Ocean  (No.  68  of  the  charts  of  the  Hydrographic  Office),  —  in  his  trib- 
ute to  the  late  Admiral  Rodgers,  Secretary  Folger  says:  "Before  sight- 
ing Wrangell  Land,  he  was  met  by  the  ice  barriers,  and  %tith  wise  pru- 
dence turned  liis  prow  homeward,  beating  his  way  back  against  head- 
winds, and  reaching  the  Straits  in  time  to  get  through,  but  marking 
his  zigzag  course  by  a  line  of  soundings  on  the  chart  of  'Behring 
Sea  and  the  Arctic  Ocean,'  published  by  the  Government  over  his 
name,  which  is  still  the  best  authority  to  those  who  follow  after  him, 
and  to  which  much  has  been  added  by  those  who  have  imitated  his 
careful  methods,  but  from  which  nothing  has  been  taken."  ["In 
Memoriam,"  Treasury  Document,  No.  277.] 

The  charts  of  the  list  of  the  Hydrographic  Office  are  :  — 

No.  54,  "  Bay  of  Avatcha,  Kamtchatkas  and  approaches ;  Nos.  8  and 
55,  "  Aleutian  Archipelago,"  — in  two  sheets  ;  No.  57,  "  The  Straits  of 
Semiavine  in  Behring  Sea ; "  No.  60,  "  St.  Lawrence  Bay." 

No.  68  (as  named  above),  Behring  Sea  and  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

This  number,  as  reissued  by  Commodore  J.  C.  P.  DeKraft,  Hydro- 
grapher  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation,  gives  an  extension  of  the  Northern 
Asiatic  coast,  westward  to  Ion.  155°  E. ;  also  the  tracks  and  the  highest 
point  reached  by  the  "  Rodgers,"  under  Lieutenant  R.  M.  Berry,  Sept.  18, 
1881,  lat.  73°  44'  N.  This  position  and  that  of  the  unfortunate  "Jean- 
nette  "  when  crushed  by  the  ice,  June  13, 1881,  with  other  indications  of 
recent  Arctic  Explorations,  will  be  found  laid  down  on  the  circumpolar 
map  (pocket  of  this  volume). 

It  has  not  been  found  practicable  to  furnish  a  reply  to  the  many 
inquiries  which  have  been  made  as  to  the  deferring  of  the  publication 
of  the  full  narrative  of  this  Exploring  Expedition  of  1853-55,  or  of  its 


116  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

Arctic  cruise ;  a  fair  inference  may  be  drawn  from  the  history  of  like 
cases,  that  the  non-appearance  of  the  text  has  been  caused  by  the 
want  of  a  sufficient  appropriation  for  its  issue  by  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment. The  brief  notices  which  follow  would  have  been  most  gladly 
extended  or  have  given  place  to  a  fuller  history,  if  such  had  appeared.^ 
They  are,  however,  derived  from  the  letters  of  the  Commander,  the 
Ship's  log,  and  the  Reports  of  the  Secretaries  of  the  Navy,  with  some 
notes  of  the  camping  on  shore  at  Glassenapp,  by  the  party  under 
Lieutenant  Brooke,  drawn  from  his  courteously  loaned  memorandum 
books. 

THE   NORTHERN   CRUISE. 

July  8,  1855.  —  The  "  Vincennes"  arrived  at  Avatcha  Bay,  Siberia,, 
in  which  lies  the  Port  of  Petropaulovski.  The  bay  was  found  to  be  as 
described  in  the  sailing  directions,  large  and  affording  good  anchorage. 
The  village  presented  a  singular  appearance,  its  houses,  about  one  hun- 
dred in  number,  being  built  of  logs  hewn  square,  many  of  them  having 
red  roofs ;  the  better  class  covered  with  sheet-iron,  the  red  lead  being 
probably  designed  as  a  protection  from  rust.  The  village  is  situated  at 
the  head  of  a  land-locked  basin,  formed  by  a  high  ridge  of  land  curving 
out  and  rounding  from  the  main,  and  then  running  parallel  to  it.  A 
low  sand-spit  forms  a  breakwater  across  the  entrance.  On  the  shoulder 
of  the  spit  and  on  the  i)romontory  of  the  ridge,  were  seen  the  ruins  of 
batteries  from  which  the  guns  had  been  removed. 

A  boat  came  off  witli  a  Mr.  Case,  an  American  resident,  who  reported 
the  town  deserted,  and  that  the  public  property  had  been  destroyed, 
and  that  of  private  persons  wantonly  injured  by  the  French.  On  a 
visit  by  the  officers  of  the  "Vincennes,"  the  burned  houses  presented 
a  mournful  appearance,  and  the  deserted  mansion  of  the  Governor 
scarcely  less  of  discomfort.  This  dwelling  also  was  of  logs  caulked 
with  oakum,  and  lined  with  painted  canvas  ;  its  heating  had  been  from 
Russian  stoves,  which,  as  massive  squares  of  brick-work,  maintained  a 
constant  temperature.  A  stream  of  clear  water,  supplied  from  the 
melting  snow  of  the  hills,  formed  a  small  cascade  in  the  garden,  where 
gooseberry  bushes  were  just  shedding  their  blossoms,  and  the  straw- 


w 


SEARCH   FOR   A   WHALER.  117 


berry  beds  were  verdant.  In  the  streets  many  dogs  were  wandering 
without  masters,  to  die  of  starvation.  Lieutenant  Brooke  entered  in 
his  notes  of  the  visit,  that  the  black  embers  of  the  burned  houses  were 
a  souvenir  of  the  English  and  the  French  conflict,  the  more  mournful 
because  the  severity  of  the  climate  and  the  cold  aspect  of  the  moun- 
tains would  incline  one  to  think  that  into  such  a  country  men  should 
scarcely  carry  the  cruelties  of  war.  "  But  the  French  probably  remem- 
bered Moscow."  In  the  calm  of  the  evening  the  scener}-  was  very  fine, 
presenting  from  one  point  the  wide  waters  of  the  bay,  the  close,  calm 
harbor,  the  distant  and  majestic  mountains,  and  the  light-hued  vegeta- 
tion, waving  with  every  zephyr.  Violets  and  heartsease  were  gathered 
for  home  letters.  During  the  absence  of  the  officers  the  seine  had  been 
hauled,  bringing  up  one  hundred  and  forty  salmon  with  trout ;  a  king- 
salmon  weighed  sixty  pounds ;  the  lightest,  ten  pounds. 

The  schooner  "  Fenimore  Cooper  "  came  in  from  a  cruise  to  Actka, 
one  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  which  she  had  visited  by  orders  of  Com- 
mander Rodgers,  under  instructions  from  the  Navy  Department,  to 
make  inquiries  for  the  fate  of  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  whale-ship 
"  Monongahela,"  which  was  lost  in  the  autumn  of  1853,  in  attempting 
to  make  her  seventy-second  passage,  in  Ion.  172  west.  Diligent  search 
was  madfi,  and  the  Islands  of  Segoum  and  Amoghta,  which  lie  on  each 
side  of  the  passage,  were  thoroughly  examined.  At  Actka  were  found 
several  water-casks,  supposed  to  have  belonged  to  the  missing  vessel, 
but  no  tidings  of  the  officers  and  crew,  all  of  whom  are  supposed  to 
have  perished  with  the  ship. 

A  visit  to  the  "  Vincennes  "  was  made  by  Captain  MartinefF,  of  the 
Russian  Army,  who,  with  another  officer,  had  been  sent  out  by  the 
Russian  Government  to  meet  Commander  Ringgold  and  bring  Russian 
charts.  On  his  journey  from  St.  Petersburg,  made  in  seventy  days  by 
horse  and  dog,  he  had  at  one  time  been  delayed  six  days  in  the  snow 
without  fire.     His  dogs  had  been  driven  by  a  slightly  curved  stick. 

On  the  9th,  an  American  ship  with  a  cargo  consigned  to  this  port, 
arrived  from  New  York  via  Valparaiso.  On  the  13th,  the  Commander 
of  the  "  Vincennes "  sent  as  a  present  to  the  Governor  of  Siberia  a 
silver-mounted  Sharpe  Rifle  with  ammunition ;  the  "  Vincennes  "  ran 


118  AlVIERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

out  to  sea,  taking  as  an  interpreter  an  old  Cossack  sixty-seven  years 
of  age.  The  "  Cooper  "  engaged  for  the  same  office,  for  a  new  visit  to 
the  Aleutian  group,  a  Mr.  Fletcher,  for  twenty  years  an  inhabitant  of 
Kamchatka. 

Lieutenant  Brooke  found  his  first  watch  on  deck  in  lat.  52°  59'  N., 
made  very  pleasant  by  the  beauteous  phenomena  witnessed.  The 
calm  and  complete  stillness  was  broken  only  hj  the  flapping  of  a  sail  or 
the  occasional  breathing  of  a  seal.  "  The  sky,  near  the  horizon,  was 
orange  and  violet,  the  distant  land  breaking  into  the  arch  of  colors  was 
dark,  and  in  bold  relief  tinged  with  purple.  As  the  sun  came  up,  all 
changed  to  crimson  and  gold,  and  the  light  clouds  aloft,  even  in  the 
west,  were  warm  and  beautiful.  To  the  west  rose  the  gray  land  over- 
towered  by  the  snow-capped  peaks,  cold  as  could  be.  The  waterfowl 
were  reflected  in  the  mirror-like  sea,  and  their  images  were  seen  at 
every  undulation  of  the  smooth  waves ;  hardly  perceptible,  long,  wav- 
ing lines  diverged  on  either  side  as  they  advanced  toward  the  ship. 
Seaward,  a  thin,  low  haze  obscured  the  sky  and  sea,  which  faded  like  a 
mirror  beneath  the  cloud." 

July  16.  —  The  "Vincennes"  encountered  thick  weather,  but  with- 
out rain  ;  at  noon,  when  it  lightened  up,  Behring  Island  was  seen 
bearing  S.  E.  The  Commander  regretted  that  he  was  unablfe  to  wait 
for  clear  weather  to  locate  the  island,  which  is  found  differently  placed 
on  the  Russian  and  English  charts.  From  this  date  up  to  the  close  of 
the  nionth,  adverse  easterly  winds  prevailed,  with  the  exceptional  calms 
accompanied  by  the  usual  fogs.  On  the  28th,  when  Lieutenant  Brooke 
sounded  for  deep-sea  dredging,*  Saxton's  thermometer  was  bent  to  the 
lead,  and  sent  down,  all  quills  included ;  at  nine  hundred  fathoms  only, 
it  reached  bottom,  the  shot  detached  itself,  and  both  the  quills  and  bore 

»  In  Sir  C.  W.  Thomson's  "  Depths  of  the  Sea,"  page  211,  will  be  found  the  fol- 
lowing:— 

*'  About  the  year  1854,  Passed-Midshipman  J.  M.  Brooke,  United  States  Navy,  who 
was  at  the  time  doing  duty  at  the  Observatory,  proposed  a  contrivance  by  which  the  shot 
might  be  detached  as  soon  as  it  reached  the  bottom,  and  specimens  brought  up  in  its  stead. 
The  result  of  the  suggestion  was  Brooke's  *  Deep-Sea  Sounding  Apparatus,'  of  which  all 
the  more  recent  contrivances  have  been  to  a  great  extent  modifications  and  improvements, 
retaining  its  fundamental  principle,  the  detaching  of  the  weight."  The  last  of  these 
remarks  will  be  found  confirmed  by  the  Reports  of  the  Naval  Officers  engaged  in  the  work 


THE   "VINCENNES"   IN   BEHRING   STRAITS.  119 

of  the  rod  were  hauled  up  full,  a  greenish  sediment  revealing  under 
the  microscope,  living  animals ;  as  on  a  previous  day,  when  the  sound- 
ing had  been  one  thousand  seven  hundred  fathoms,  the  infusoria  were 
proved  to  have  come  from  the  lowest  depth  by  the  selection  of  a  por- 
tion of  the  sediment  from  the  middle  firmly-packed  section.  The  ani- 
mals in  this  section  were  the  most  abundant. 

August  1.  —  Behring  Straits  were  entered  after  passing  between  St. 
Lawrence  Island  and  Cape  Tchaplin  in  a  thick  fog  without  seeing  land. 
The  ship  hauled  in  for  Semiavine  Straits  on  the  Asiatic  side,  where  the 
Commander  had  determined  to  leave  a  party  under  Lieutenant  Brooke 
to  make  astronomical  and  other  observations.  In  the  afternoon,  land 
was  suddenly  seen  close  aboard,  without  the  position  of  the  bhip  being 
well  known,  as  they  had  no  observations.  Lieutenant  Brooke's  notes 
and  Commander  Rodgers'  letters  say :  "  There  never  was  a  more  gloomy 
voyage  as  far  as  the  absence  of  the  sun  is  concerned;  as  to  day- 
light, we  have  enough  of  that,  for  the  night  is  only  from  eleven  till 
one."  The  "  Vincennes  "  heading  N.  by  W.,  going  six  knots,  expected 
by  noon  to  make  the  land,  but  the  continually  rising  and  never-clear- 
ing fog  entirely  shut  out  the  distant  horizon.  After  several  attempts 
to  gain  the  harbor,  frustrated  by  losing  sight  of  the  ship's  track  on 
which  eyesight  was  necessary  for  safety,  by  the  help  of  Lutke's  chart 
and  that  of  an  intelligent  Tchuktchi,  August  4,  anchorage  was  found  in 
Glassenapp,  lat.  65°  N.,  Ion.  172°  35'  W.  The  flag  of  Lieutenant  Rus- 
sell, who  had  gone  forward  in  the  boats,  was  already  up.  From  the 
deck  some  mound-like  structures,  the  huts  of  the  Tchuktcliis,  were 
seen,  with  what  appeared  the  framing  of  others, — eight  or  ten  whale-ribs 
set  upon  end  close  together.  A  large  number  of  the  men,  with  their 
women  and  children,  crowded  around  the  ship  in  their  baidars,  skin- 
boats  ;  they  were  all  dressed  in  furs,  generally  with  coats  of  deer-skin, 
and  pantaloons  of  seal-skin,  over  which  they  wore  looser  frocks  made 
of  the  intestines  of  whales  or  other  sea  animals.     They  were  tall  and 

of  Sounding,  the  latest  being  those  of  Lieutenant-Commander  C.  D.  Sigsbee,  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Commander J.  R.  Bartlett,  United  States  Navy,  of  the  work  done  on  the  "  Blake" 
in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  the  mo<lifications  tised  by  them  being  chiefly  the  use  of  the  wire 
and  of  Sir  W.  Thompson's  improvement  of  the  valve  invented  by  Sigsbee. 


120  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

had  large  heads ;  the  flatness  of  their  faces,  relieved  only  by  prominent 
cheekbones,  making  them  appear  singularly  heavy.  Their  hair  was 
shorn,  except  a  broad  ridge  over  the  forehead.  "  The  women  were  not 
ugly,  some  of  them  quite  pretty,  particularly  when  they  smiled ;  and 
when  asking  for  anything,  they  put  on  so  winning  an  air  and  smiled  so 
sweetly,  and  were  so  arch  and  amusing,  the  officers  could  not  resist 
them.  Some  had  their  faces  slightly  tattooed  with  blue  lines  from  the 
lower  lip  to  the  chin,  or  on  the  cheeks ;  their  hands  and  feet  were  very 
delicately  formed,  but  not  clean.  They  wore  their  hair  long,  plaited  in 
two  pendants,  adorned  with  little  strings  of  red  and  white  beads." 

The  officers  of  the  ship  were  much  surprised  to  see  persons  of  such 
fair  complexions  and  otherwise  agreeable  appearance  living  in  such  a 
country  and  subjected  to  such  exposure.  The  party  made  ready 
exchanges  of  walrus  teeth,  lances,  and  harpoons  made  of  the  ivory 
of  the  moose,  for  needles,  thread,  silk,  and  like  articles;  tobacco 
being  chiefly  desired.  All  could  either  smoke  or  chew,  and  for  half  a 
plug  of  the  weed  they  willingly  gave  weapons  which  must  have  cost 
them  weeks  of  patient  labor.  They  inquired  for  grog,  of  which,  how- 
ever, very  little  was  given  to  them.  This  race  are  spoken  of  in  the 
letters  of  Commander  Rodgers  "as  a  fine-looking  set  of  men,  of  free  and 
bold  bearing.  Of  all  the  Asiatic  races  inhabiting  Siberia,  they  only 
have  not  submitted  to  the  tribute  of  peltries  demanded  by  the 
Russians."  *     Though  still  in  a  great  measui'e  Nomads,  they  have  fewer 

*  Lieut.  Hovgaard,  in  his  "  Nordenskiolds  Voyage,"  pp.  117-119,  says  of  this  race: 
"  When  Yerinak  Timofeyeff,  the  Kossack  chief,  in  1579,  fled  and  crossed  ever  the  Ural 
Mountains,  he  and  his  successors  subdued  in  the  course  of  a  century  nearly  all  the  territory 
which  we  call  Siberia;  but  in  the  outlying  northeastern  pai-t  of  the  Old  World,  a  small, 
courageous,  but  savage  race  of  people  kept  the  restless  conquerors  at  bay.  This  was  the 
Chuckches. 

"  Before  the  conquest  of  Siberia  the  Chuckches  lived  in  almost  constant  warfare  with 
the  other  races  in  the  northeastern  districts,  in  consequence  of  the  raids  of  one  tribe  upon 
another.  The  Chuckches  were  generally  the  victors  in  these  wars,  and  gained  great 
renown  for  bravery,  and  were  considered  almost  Invincible.  In  the  middle  of  the  last 
century,  however,  Pavlazki  made  a  successful  inroad  into  their  countiy,  and  after  several 
defeats,  and  considerable  losses,  they  retreated  into  their  inhospitable  mountain  regions, 
where  the  victors  could  not  pursue  them  without  great  dirticulties  and  endless  dangers. 

"The  Russians  were  satisfied  with  subduing  the  smaller  and  nearest  tribes.  A  long 
time  elapsed  before  they  succeeded  in  entering  into  any  friendly  communication  or  estab- 


LIEUT.  Brooke's  party  on  shore.  121 

characteristics  accompanying  that  mode  of  life  than  the  wandering 
Tunguses.  It  may  be  remembered  that  they  were  serviceable  to 
Captain  Moore,  of  H.  B.  M.  ship  "  Plover,"  of  the  Franklin  Relief 
Expedition,  1848-52,  when  he  anchored  near  them. 

The  Commander  of  the  "Vincennes,"  on  going  ashore  with  Lieu- 
tenant Brooke  to  select  a  position  for  the  camping  of  the  observing 
party  referred  to,  found  the  huts  to  be  made  of  hide,  patched  over 
frameworks  of  wood  and  whalebone.  They  were  small,  square  or  rec- 
tangular apartments,  with  inner  roofing  of  furs  for  sleeping-places. 
The  culinary  and  other  utensils  were  suspended  from  the  roof;  in  the 
centre  was  a  flat  stone,  over  which  hung  iron  kettles.  The  ground 
was  strewn  with  bones  of  the  moose. 

The  hesitancy  on  the  part  of  Commander  Rodgers  to  leave  the 
observing  party  at  this  place  was  overcome  by  the  prompt  desires  of 
the  Lieutenant  to  secure  results  which  the  unfavorable  weather  had 
tlius  far  continuously  forbidden.  On  the  5th,  at  an  early  hour,  the  sun 
shining  cheerfully,  and  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind  stirring,  the  transit 
house  was  landed,  with  two  tents,  and  spars,  and  sails  as  materials 
for  building  a  commodious  house.  Lieutenant  Brooke  obtained  morn- 
ing altitudes  and  one  at  meridian,  beside  several  near  it,  with  which 
last  observations  Lieutenant  Russell's  agreed.  The  station  was  on  the 
shore,  at  the  head  of  the  bight  which  this  little  bay  forms.  Provisions 
were  landed  for  eleven  persons  for  two  months,  and  the  party  were 
thoroughly  equipped  for  defence,  by  the  gun  of  the  launch,  twelve- 

lishing  any  trade  with  the  Chuckches.  They  were  still  siispicious  of  the  Russians,  and  at 
first  they  only  showed  themselves  in  great  numbers,  and  fully  armed,  on  the  borders;  only 
after  the  experience  of  many  years,  and  many  proofs  of  the  sincerity  of  the  Russians,  they 
appeared  to  feel  more  and  more  secure,  and  in  Wrangell's  time  they  came  fearlessly  with 
their  women  and  children  to  the  distant  Russian  fairs  over  the  borders,  until  a  mutually 
profitable  trade  was  developed.  Another  important  result  of  this  intercourse  with  the 
Russians  was  the  softening  influence  of  the  habits  of  civilized  Europeans  upon  the  Chuck- 
ches, and  their  former  savagery  vanished  to  a  great  extent. 

"The  hostile  feeling  has  now  completely  died  out,  and  of  late  years  the  natives  have 
also  been  greatly  influenced  by  their  intercourse  with  the  Americans.  They  tlo  not  like 
the  American  whalers,  as  they  interfere  with  their  seal  and  walrus  hunting;  but  a  com- 
pany from  Sau  Francisco  sends  every  year  some  ships  to  barter  with  them  for  walrus  teeth 
and  similar  articles,  and  these  traders  the  Chuckches  look  upon  as  good  friends,  as  they  in 
excliange  g»>t  brandy,  tobacco,  cloth,  etc.'' 


122  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE    ICE   ZONES. 

pounder  howitzer,  fifty-three  rounds  of  canister  and  shell,  three 
carbines,  three  muskets,  and  three  rifles,  with  about  one  thousand 
cartridges  and  their  appurtenances.  A  whaleboat-built  cutter  was 
also  left,  in  which  to  escape  in  case  of  accident  to  the  ship. 

At  the  time  of  landing,  the  natives  came  around  them  in  crowds, 
the  children  carrjdng  many  things  from  the  boat,  and  thus  assisting  in 
placing  the  stores  under  shelter.  Brooke  did  not  fear  the  people,  who 
seemed  to  be  honest  and  independent.  Commander  Rodgers  and 
Lieutenant  Fillebrown  took  some  observations  from  the  highest  peak 
of  the  islands,  and  Mr.  E.  R.  Knorr,  now  of  the  Hydrographic  Office, 
Washington,  measured  a  base  line  on  the  peninsula.  On  the  next  day 
a  clear  sky  permitted  Lieutenant  Brooke  to  get  a  very  good  set  of 
equal  altitudes,  and  in  the  evening,  by  the  Planet  Jupiter,  he  got  the 
transit  approximately  into  the  meridian.  On  the  7th  the  Commander 
of  the  "Vincennes"  came  ashore  to  see  that  the  party  were  not  in 
want  of  anything,  and  to  bid  farewell ;  he  informed  the  chief  of  the 
village  that  the  party  would  remain  on  shore  until  the  return  of  the 
ship,  and  that  he  would  reward  him  if  they  were  kindly  treated,  but 
punish  any  offenders.  The  chief  answered,  "All  is  very  good."  There 
was,  however,  little  encouragement,  so  far  as  supplies  of  game  or  rein- 
deer might  be  needed,  and  there  were  indications  of  insincerity.  But 
Lieutenant  Brooke  had  no  apprehensions.  The  "  Vincennes "  got 
under  way. 

The  Lieutenant  found  himself  located  on  a  Peninsula,  which  was 
almost  a  meadow  land,  luxuriantly  carpeted  with  grass,  and  blue, 
white,  and  yellow  blossoming  flowers.  The  harbor  itself,  level  and 
containing  several  square  miles,  is  formed  by  a  low  and  sickle-shaped 
Peninsula,  covered  with  grass ;  its  shores  gravelly.  High  mountains 
rose  on  the  in-shore  side ;  snow  and  ice  lay  in  the  hollows,  but 
were  beginning  to  melt,  and  the  pools  of  fresh  water  stood  upon  the 
plain. 

The  party  under  the  Lieutenant  consisted  of  two  of  the  naturalists 
of  the  surveying  expedition,  Messrs.  Stimpson  and  Wright,  Mr.  Kern, 
the  artist,  three  marines,  and  five  sailors,  one  of  whom  was  the  old 
Cossack.     Commander  Rodgers  "  had  in  the  marked  prudence  and  firm- 


THE  TCHUKTCHIS.  123 

ness  of  their  Chief  the  strong  assurance  that  he  would  find  them  safe 
on  his  return  from  the  North." 

The  month  during  which  they  remained  at  this  station,  awaiting  tlie 
return  of  the  "Vineennes,"  was  occupied  by  the  respective  officers  for 
observing  purposes  as  closely  as  the  unfavorable  weather  permitted,  and 
it  is  gratifying  to  learn  that  their  work,  with  that  of  other  portions  of 
the  Expedition,  has  been  called  for  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution  for 
profitable  use.  Friendly  intercourse  with  the  natives  who  visited  the 
camp,  and  with  their  villages,  was  almost  continuously  maintained 
without  difficulty;  the  only  exceptions  were  those  of  one  or  two 
occasions  on  which  a  native  had  been  freely  indulging  from  the  sup- 
plies of  rum  which  had  been  so  inexcusably  furnished  by  traders 
previous  to  this  visit.  The  party  under  Lieutenant  Brooke  had  fre- 
quent opportunities  of  witnessing  the  habits,  customs,  and  manners  of 
the  natives,  their  means  of  obtaining  their  food,  their  manufacture  of 
articles  for  sale  to  the  traders,  and  their  varied  amusements.  The  last- 
named  of  these  presented  some  characteristic  differences  from  those 
generally  described  by  explorers  in  other  Arctic  regions.  In  their 
amusements  of  running  and  wrestling,  the  good  humor  which  prevailed 
is  spoken  of  by  Lieutenant  Brooke  as  remarkable,  the  contests  ending 
with  a  smile  from  both  victor  and  vanquished. 

In  performances  of  another  and  very  singular  character,  it  seemed  to 
him  that  what  was  done  was  in  imitation  of  the  antics  of  wild  beasts,  — 
bears,  walrus,  and  seals.  Iti  his  journal  he  says :  "  Ea-ack-til-ha  treated 
us  with  an  exhibition  singular  enough,  and  withal  very  theatrical ;  he 
stood  out  before  us,  and,  throwing  back  his  head,  seemed  in  an  agony  of 
strangulation ;  his  eyes  upturned,  squinted  and  rolled  in  their  sockets 
like  evening  lightning ;  all  his  muscles  were  rigid,  and  he  trembled  as 
if  galvanized.  A  noise  was  heard  like  that  of  a  drowning  man,  —  a  gur- 
gling sound,  but  loud.  He  slapped  his  hands  violently  against  his  head, 
then,  extending  his  arms  by  his  side,  fell  like  a  log  upon  his  back. 
Then  his  feet  went  up  in  the  air,  and  rolling  on,  he  seemed  to  spring 
up,  feet  foremost,  his  head  upon  the  ground.  He  was  dressed  in  fur, 
and  the  long  hair  about  his  neck,  with  the  savage  character  of  the 
decorations  of  his  person,  produced  an  extraordinary  impression ;  one 


124  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

<iould  hardly  realize  that  he  was  the  same  man  who  came  smiling  to  us 
afterwards,  and  exclaimed,  '■  Met-tchink-Ka  T  " 

The  skin-boats  used  in  hunting  the  walrus  and  the  seal  are  man- 
aged, like  those  of  other  Arctic  natives,  by  the  skill  of  one  who  sits  in 
the  middle,  in  a  round  hole,  just  large  enough  to  permit  easy  getting 
up  and  down.  When  getting  in,  great  care  is  taken  by  even  the  most 
experienced  to  prevent  an  upset.  In  all  the  boats  seal-skins,  blown  up 
like  small  balloons,  are  used  as  buoys,  life-preservers,  or  fenders  while 
hunting. 

The  "Vincennes,"  in  the  prosecution  of  Commander  Rodgers'  plan 
of  her  Northern  cruise,  entered  the  Arctic  Sea  August  11.  He  had  not 
expected  to  attempt  a  voyage  to  the  far  North,  the  field  of  labor,  as  he 
expressed  it  in  his  letter  to  the  Department,  being  rather  to  the  South- 
ward of  Cape  East  than  to  the  North  of  it.  It  was  utterly  impossible 
to  expect  to  winter  in  a  high  latitude,  —  the  ship  had  but  four  months' 
provisions  and  fuel,  —  and  the  Commander  was  "desirous  to  return  to 
the  work  of  the  surveys  at  the  earliest  date  consistent  with  the  visiting 
to  the  land  in  about  lat.  72°  N.,  Ion.  175°  W.,  as  placed  upon  the 
Admiralty  charts  from  the  Report  of  H.B.M.  frigate  '  Herald,'  Captain 
Kellett;  with  examining  Herald  Island,  seen  by  the  same  ship,  but  not 
explored;  and  the  endeavor  to  reach  Wrangell  Land  as  described  to 
Lieutenant  Wrangell's  companion.  Dr.  Kyber,  on  his  Polar  Exploration 
of  1824.* 

The  ship  was  favored  with  a  strong  breeze,  but  the  weather  was 
thick  and  lowering ;  she  ran  on  under  all  sail,  getting  a  cast  from 
the  lead  every  hour.     August  11,  she  encountered  a  stream  of  drift- 

*  In  the  Narrative  of  his  Expedition  to  the  Polar  Sea,  1820  to  1823,  by  Lieutenant  Von 
Wrangell,  of  the  Russian  Navy,  on  page  342  (Sabine,  2d  edition,  1844),  will  be  found  the 
following  :  — 

"Some  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Tchuktchi  tribes  of  this  coast  had  spoken  much  to  Dr. 
Kyber  of  a  more  northern  land,  the  lofty  mountains  of  which  were  visible  on  very  clear 
days  from  the  place  which  tliey  called  .Jakan,  and  which  they  described  tolerably  circum- 
stantially. From  their  description  it  appeared  that  Jakan  lay  to  the  Eastward  of  our 
present  position,  and  I  determined  to  visit  it.  On  the  8th  of  April  (1824),  the  weather 
was  clear,  and  the  temperature  -|-  25°  in  the  morning  and  evening,  and  -f  36°  at  noon. 
After  following  the  coast,  which  was  sixty  feet  high,  for  seven  versts,  we  came  to  a  rock 


TRUE  POSITION   OF   HERALD   ISLAND.  125 

timber,  some  of  the  trees  of  which  were  so  large  and  numerous  that 
she  had  frequently  to  alter  her  course  of  seven  knots  to  avoid  striking- 
them.  She  ran  over  the  tail  of  Herald  Shoal,  which  had  less  than 
eighteen  fathoms  water,  and  on  the  13th  passed  the  island,  which 
appeared  dimly  between  the  clouds  as  two  small  ,ones.  The  weather 
became  foggy,  and  the  ship  stood  for  the  North  until  she  ran  through 
the  position  of  the  land  as  given  on  the  Admiralty  charts,  R.N.,  and 
came  to  anchor  in  forty-two  fathoms,  in  latitude  72°  5'  N.,  longitude 
174°  87'  AV.  In  a  few  hours  the  fog  lifted,  and  a  sudden  change, 
peculiar  to  the  Northern  regions,  flashed  across  the  scene ;  it  was  so 
clear  that  the  horizon  appeared  Avithout  limit.  No  land  or  appearance 
of  land  could  be  seen  from  the  royal  yards.  The  water,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  was  entirely  free  from  ice,  but  the  weather  became 
again  foggy.  Commander  Rodgers,  having  accomplished  what  he  had 
proposed,  and  being  assured  that  a  longer  exposure  of  his  officers  and 
crew  could  result  in  injury  only,  returned  toward  Herald  Island.*  On 
the  night  of  the  14th,  the  surf  was  heard  sullenly  breaking  on  the  shore, 
and  at  two  in  the  morning  an  avalanche  thundered  down  the  island 
which  had  not  been  seen.  At  six  a.m.,  two  boats  left  the  sliip  to  make 
observations  for  position ;  the  weather,  however,  unhappily  prevented 
the  securing  of  satisfactory  results  until  further  observations  were 
made  from  on  board  the  ship;  but  these  placed  the  island  in  a  different 
position  from  that  given  by  Captain  Kellett,  the  Southeastern  point 
being  fix'ed  by  the  "  Vincennes  "  in  71°  21'  latitude  N.,  175°  20'  longi- 
tude W.  The  island  was  found  to  have  the  form  of  a  half-moon,  its 
horns  being  connected  by  a  less  elevated  isthmus,  which  gave  the  a[)- 
pearance  of  there  being  two  islands,  for  the  isthmus  might,  be  below 
the  horizon,  while  the  extremes  are  above  it.     The  sides  were  found 

projecting  some  way  into  the  sea,  behind  which  the  shore  suddenly  becomes  low  and  flat, 
consisting  of  gravel  and  weathered  fragments  of  rock.  The  place  corresponded  per- 
fectly, in  these  and  other  respects,  with  the  description  which  the  chiefs  had  given  to  Dr. 
Kyber  of  Cape  Jakan.  I  determined  its  latitude  09°  42';  and  its  longitude  is  170'^  Si'  by 
reckoning,  dependent  on  our  observation  the  day  before.  We  gazed  long  and  earnestly  on 
the  horizon  in  hopes,  as  tlie  atmosphere  was  clear,  of  discerning  some  appearance  of  tlie 
northern  land,  which  the  Tchuktchis  affirm  they  have  seen  from  this  place,  but  we  coulti 
see  nothing  of  it." 


126  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

very  steep  and  full  of  danger,  nearly  causing  the  loss  of  life  of  an 
officer  who  endeavored  to  climb  them,  a  piece  of  rock  giving  way  under 
his  foot;  the  frost  had  broken  up  the  friable  material  of  the  rocks 
and  earth.  John  "Watts,  an  active  man  of  the  boat's  crew,  and  with 
good  ej'esight,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit,  but  no  land  could  be 
seen  in  any  direction,  although  the  horizon  was  excellent,  and  Com- 
mander Rodgers  was  compelled  to  write  :  "It  would  be  far  pleasanter  to 
confirm  the  discovery  of  other  land  than  Herald  Island,  than  to  believe 
that  Commodore  Kellett  was  mistaken  in  his  views ;  yet  we  were 
convinced,  however  unwillingly,  that  appearances  had  deceived  him. 
Several  times  land  was  reported  to  us  by  the  man  at  the  masthead, 
which  eventually  proved  to  be  only  clouds,  and  sometimes  where  I 
knew  no  land  could  be  seen,  since  we  had  passed  through  the  position 
on  which  it  was  said  to  be.  On  the  15th  we  ran  for  Plover  Island. 
Tlie  air  was  clear  and  bracing,  but  when  half  way  to  the  position  of  the 
land,  as  placed  on  the  chart,  we  Avere  stopped  by  a  barrier  of  ice.  At 
but  half  the  distance  the  '  Herald '  had  been,  nothing  from  the  royal 
yards  in  the  favorable  weather  we  had,  could  be  seen,  and  I  am  forced 
to  the  conclusion  that  Plover  Island  does  not  exist.  Captain  Kellett 
could  only  give  his  honest  conclusions,  and  it  would  have  been  wrong 
to  omit  the  notice  of  such  palpable  appearances ;  for  any  navigator,  under 
the  circumstances  which  controlled  his  acts,  must  have  followed  his 
course  in  giving  his  convictions,  and  then  have  left  the  matter  to  the 
investigations  of  time  and  the  confirmation  or  rejection  of  those  who 
should  have  better  opportunities  for  ascertaining  the  truth  of  what  he 
saw  as  probable." 

The  log  of  the  "Vincennes"  at  this  period  presents  a  number  of 
items  of  special  interest,  some  of  which  are  here  presented:  "August  13, 
at  7  A.  M.,  the  fog  lifted.  Sent  lookouts  to  the  royal  yards,  and  took 
a  careful  look  around.  Could  see  no  appearance  of  land ;  horizon  to 
W.  N.  W.  and  N.  good  and  clear  for  a  radius  of  thirty  miles.  Nothing 
in  sight.  A  bright  lookout  for  land  and  ice  ahead.  The  'Vincennes' 
at  anchor,  lat.  72°  05'  27"  without  current ;  72°  02'  27,"  allowing  a  cur- 
rent of  one  knot  per  hour.     Southeast  by  E.,  Ion.  174°  37'  15"  W." 

The  log  of  the  14th  has   the  minutes,  "from  eight  to  meridian. 


THE   "VINCENNES"'   LOG.  127 

sounded  every  hour ;  each  time  got  bottom  witli  forty-three  fathoms ; 
bottom  hard.  Fired  a  gun  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  by  echo  our 
distance  from  land ;  —  heard  no  echo.  At  3  A.  m.,  the  weather  very 
clear  and  light,  a  pink  and  rose-colored  band  of  light  rested  over  the 
southern  horizon  at  an  altitude  of  about  five  degrees,  embracing  an 
amplitude  from  S.  S.  W.  to  N.  E.  From  meridian  to  four,  fired  two 
guns  to  perceive  echo.  It  was  believed  to  be  observed  at  both  trials. 
Current  running  north  by  west." 

The  log  of  the  15th.  "  At  1  A.  m.,  fog  lifting,  made  Herald  Island. 
The  bay  of  Middle  Point  covered  with  ice,  which  extended  to  N.  W. 
by  N.  Different  portions  of  the  island  covered  with  snow  and  ice. 
Depth  of  water  at  4  a.  m.,  twenty-four  fathoms.  Two  boats  left  the 
ship  to  land  on  Herald  Island  to  take  observations.  No  other  land  in 
sight.  Small  floes  of  ice  drifting  to  the  north.  The  boats  returned, 
bringing  specimens  of  plants  and  minerals  and  of  birds,  which  were 
exceedingly  numerous  and  so  tame  as  to  be  caught  by  the  hand.  At 
noon  Herald  Island  about  three  miles  distant.  No  other  land  in  sight 
from  royal  yard,  with  a  clear  horizon  to  north  and  northwest.  Lati- 
tude observed  71°  21'  36"  N." 

The  log  of  the  16th.  "  Distance  from  Herald  Island,  per  log,  106| 
miles.  Ice  seen  from  deck  from  S.  to  W.  by  N.,  packed,  and  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach  from  the  top  masthead.  At  8.30  tacked  ship,  a  bar- 
rier of  ice  extending  from  S.  to  N.  W.  Sent  lookouts  aloft ;  weather 
clear.  Could  see  a  radius  of  thirty  miles;  no  land  in  sight  except 
Herald  Island." 

The  log  of  the  17th.  "  Latitude  68°  45'  20".  From  eight  to  merid- 
ian sounded  every  hour ;  twenty-eight  fathoms ;  bottom,  soft  mud  and 
shells.  Found  the  surface  current  .584  knot  per  hour,  N.  W. ;  at  two 
fathoms'  depth  .642  knots  per  hour ;  at  five  fathoms'  depth  .817  knots 
per  hour,  N.  W. ;  at  fifteen  fathoms'  depth  .758  knots." 

The  log  of  the  18th.  "Passed  a  large  log  of  drift-wood;  water 
whitish-green  color.  At  6.05  a.m.  made  the  coast  of  Asia,  distance 
forty  miles ;  high  volcanic  cone  ;  land  in  view  along  the  southern  board, 
an  elevated  promontory,  supposed  to  be  Cape  North.  A  large  number 
of  birds  of  difierent  species." 


128  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

The  "Vinceiiiies"  now  ran  for  Wraiigell  Land.  On  the  19th  the 
weather  was  foggy,  masses  of  ice  floated  near,  and  a  wall-like  barrier 
was  before  the  ship.  She  was  within  ten  miles  of  the  position  of 
Wrangell  Land,  in  the  reported  Polysj^,  or  open  sea,  in  lat.  70°  41', 
Ion.  177°  21'  W.,  when  thus  arrested,  ^o  land  could  be  seen,  thouo-h  it 
was  thought  the  vision  extended  six  or>  qight  miles  in  every  direction. 
The  Commander  "  had,  with  some  reluctance,  stood  for  this  land,  from 
an  unwillingness  to  take  so  much  time  from  the  peculiar  duties  of  the 
Expedition ;  but  he  had  known  that  no  keel  had  penetrated  where  he 
proposed  to  go,  and  that  a  knowledge  of  the  depth,  the  temperature, 
and  the  currents  would  be  of  value  if  land  should  not  be  discovered. 
He  had  attained  the  limits  which  he  had  proposed  for  his  cruise,  and 
penetrated  further  than  any  one  in  the  direction  selected."  He  gave 
orders  to  return.  Continuous  adverse  head-winds  from  the  northeast 
permitted  the  rounding  of  East  Cape  on  the  31st  only,  on  Avhich  day,, 
with  every  appearance  of  a  gale,  the  "Vincennes,"  making  eleven  and 
a  half  knots,  ran  into  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  after  making  a  survey  of  which 
bay,  she  again  headed  south  on  September  3,  and  on  the  5th  arrived 
at  Semiavine  Straits,  where  she  found  the  Observing  Party  left  there 
in  August,  safe  and  in  good  health. 

On  the  day  previous,  while  Lieutenant  Brooke,  accompanied  by 
several  of  his  party,  were  in  pursuit  of  a  bear,  on  the  Island  Thirklook 
in  Glasenapp  Harbor,  from  the  height  of  a  spur  of  the  mountain  they 
had  been  delighted  with  the  sight  of  a  ship  at  such  distance  as  to 
appear  like  a  baidar,  but  with  all  her  sails  identifying  her  as  the  sloop- 
of-war.  At  night  lie  made  the  usual  rocket  and  other  signals.  On  the 
6th  two  guns  were  fired  to  assure  Commander  Rodgers  of  the  safety  of 
the  party;  the  "Vincennes,"  rounding  the  point  with  her  broad  pen- 
nant flying,  answered  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns  from  the  camping  party. 
Commander  Rodgers  on  landing  fulfilled  his  promise  to  the  Chief, 
Caroorgar,  by  a  liberal  number  of  presents,  including  rice,  molasses,  and 
bread,  and  adding  others  for  the  villagers.  When  these  had  come  to- 
gether, Caroogar  took  some  of  the  rice  and  molasses  from  each  pan, 
and  scattered  it  to  the  northeast  and  southeast;  then  shading  his  eyes 
with  his  hand,  and  looking  right  at  the  sun,  offered  a  portion  to  that 
luminary. 


DIFFICULTIES   OF   THE   SURVEY.  129 

A  supply  of  greens  was  much  needed  on  board  the  ship,  on  which 
more  than  twenty  men  were  still  on  the  sick-list  with  scurvy,  but  the 
lateness  of  the  season  prevented  the  gathering  of  anything,  except  a 
small  quantity  of  sorrel.    A  moderate  quantity  of  venison  was  obtained. 

RETURN   TO   SAN   FRANCISCO. 

September  17.  —  The  shore  party  having  returned  on  board,  and  the 
surveys  of  the  harbor  being  completed,  a  line  of  soundings  was  run  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Strait,  and  its  outward  passage  examined  by  Lieu- 
tenants Brooke  and  Fillebrown  and  Mr.  Knorr.  On  the  24th  the  pas- 
sage through  the  Aleutian  chain  was  made  by  night,  fhrough  the  Straits 
of  Amoukta.  This  passage  was  found  to  be  excellent,  "the  widest  and 
probably  the  best  through  these  seas."  Nothing  of  special  interest  oc- 
curring on  her  return,  October  13th,  the  "Vincennes"  anchored  in  the 
harbor  of  San  Francisco,  which  she  would  have  more  readily  made  if 
the  Light-house  Register  had  not  shown  three  light-houses  as  built,  and 
all  alike,  when  one  only  was  there.  The  "  Hancock  "  and  the  "  Feni- 
more  Cooper"  arrived  in  port  the  day  following. 

In  communicating  to  Secretary  Dobbin  the  results  of  the  cruise,  the 
Commander  regretted  the  recurrence  of  the  unfavorable  weather  which 
had  so  frequently  prevented  the  observations  of  the  character  he  desired. 
Soon  after  leaving  Hakodadi,  in  Japan,  he  had  entered  into  a  region  of 
fogs,  which  extended  far  into  the  Arctic  Seas.  "  The  general  observation 
of  the  land  and  of  the  heavenly  bodies  renders  surveying  results  at 
such  times  comparatively  meagre.  The  Russians  complain  that  a  ship 
may  cruise  a  whole  season  without  doing  valuable  work,  and  the  reason 
is  plain;  for  the  currents  make  it  impossible  for  her  to  hold  for  any 
length  of  time  a  position  near  the  land  which  is  invisible ;  and,  when 
opportunity  for  observing  comes,  the  laborer  finds  himself  in  a  place  far 
difierent  from  the  one  he  desired.  When  he  regains  his  position  the 
fog  may  have  hidden  everything.  A  steamer  manifestly  is  the  only  fit 
vessel  for  such  seas,  but  the  '  Vincennes  '  is  a  sailing-ship." 

It  was  natural  that  Commander  Rodgers  should  express  his  sensitive- 
ness on  the  point  of  his  success  in  the  surveys,  which  he  did  by  adding 
to  this  the  words :  "  We  have  reason  to  congratulate  ourselves  if  our 


130  AJMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

results  should  prove  valuable  or  satisfactory."  Their  worth  has  been 
already  shown  ;  the  Admiralty  charts  acknowledge  it. 

Closely  following  this  Report  to  the  Se'^retary,  Commander  Rodgers 
forwarded  to  the  Navy  Department  a  series  of  recommendations  sub- 
mitted by  Acting  Lieutenant  Stevens  of  the  "  Hancock  "  for  further 
surveys  in  the  Pacific.  Referring  to  the  Kurile  Islands,  that  officer 
suggested  their  thorough  examination,  the  Southern  Isles  being  very 
incorrectly  charted ;  some  of  them  reported  by  whalers  to  be  a  degree 
further  east  than  their  true  positions.  The  nortli  side  of  Jesso,  or 
Matsmai,  also  required  survey.  If  possible,  a  port  should  be  opened  for 
the  whalers,  since  they  pass  along  its  shores,  and  miglit  receive  supplies 
not  available  on  the  Kanitschatka  coast,  their  next  stopping-place.  Both 
the  approaches  to  the  Amoor  River  were  recommended  for  examina- 
tion;  and  that  the  river  itself  be  visited,  not  so  much  for  the  value  of 
its  channel,  so  continually  changing  and  unprofitable,  as  to  learn  the 
resources  of  the  country  and  the  wants  of  the  people,  with  whom  a 
useful  commerce  might  be  established.  It  might  become  one  of  the 
links  in  our  trade  with  China  and  Japan:  ''Tire  fertility  of  the  soil  of 
the  Amoor  is  almost  profitless  to  the  Russians  through  their  Avaut  of 
laborers ;  but  every  want  can  be  supplied  from  the  United  States  more 
readily  than  from  tlie  interior  of  Russia.  And  as  the  country  produces 
nothing  to  make  up  a  return  cargo,  tlie  money  received  for  goods  from 
a  trader  might  be  laid  out  with  advantage,  and  in  a  very  short  time  in 
purchases  in  Japan  or  China."  A  new  survey  was  recommended  for  the 
Ishantee  Islands,  of  which  the  Russian  charts  were  found  insufficient ; 
further  examinations  also  of  the  Gulfs  of  Jamsk,  Jijiginsk,  and  the 
harbor  of  Bolcharltsk,  lat.  52°  50'  N.,  Ion.  156  E.,  near  which  the  right 
whale  is  souglit.     Numerous  American  vessels  annually  cruise  there. 

These  suggestions,  with  others  from  the  officers  of  the  squadron, 
were  made  in  answer  to  the  very  careful  instructions  given  to  each  by 
Commander  Rodgers,  in  which  he  never  lost  sight  of  the  original 
purposes  of  the  Expedition,  —  those  of  surveys,  of  inquiries  for  har- 
bors, for  the  supplies  of  the  mercantile  marine,  and  especially  for 
the  localities  in  which  coal  could  be  found.  It  would  seem  that  he 
anticipated  at  that  day  the  rapid  substitution  of  steam  ftn-  sail  within 


THE  UNPUBLISHED  REPORT.  131 

the  mercantile  marine,  and  to  this  the  experiences  of  the  Expedition 
must  have  led  the  thoughts  of  his  officers. 

On  the  return  of  the  Commander  to  Washington,  arrangements 
were  made  for  the  preparation  of  a  full  Report  of  the  Expedition,  and 
it  is  with  a  renewed  expression  of  surprise  and  regret  that  it  is  again 
said  here  that  these  arrangements  were  arrested.  As  the  papers  of 
the  officers,  except  those  of  the  naturalist  (most  unfortunately  de- 
stroyed by  fire  at  Chicago),  and  the  paintings  and  sketches  made  by  the 
Artists  and  Draughtsmen  are  preserved  by  the  Government,  and  as 
several  of  the  officers  of  the  Expedition  are  still  available  for  preparing 
a  full  Narrative,  ma}'  it  not  be  hoped  that  Congress  will  make  the 
moderate  appropriation  needed  to  enable  the  Department  to  place 
before  the  Naval  and  Mercantile  Marine,  and  the  Scientific  and  Liter- 
ary World,  the  record  of  valued  labors,  made  with  outlay  by  the 
Government.  In  the  Summary  of  these  presented  to  Congress  after 
the  return  of  the  Expedition,  it  was  stated  that  the  "  Vincennes,"  in 
order  to  accomplish  the  survey  in  the  limited  period  during  whicli  the 
Arctic  Sea  is  open,  found  it  necessary  to  carry  all  the  sail  she  could 
bear,  through  fog  and  mist,  incurring  the  danger  of  wreck  on  shoals, 
bergs,  and  rocks.  All  that  portion  which  is  available  for  whaling  i)ur- 
poses  was  carefully  explored  and  sounded,  while  the  scurvy  had  attacked 
the  majority  of  officers  and  men.  On  her  return,  encountering  an 
obstinate  east  wind,  it  was  for  days  doubtful  that  she  could  make  her 
escape  before  the  rapidly  gathering  ice  would  imprison  her,  —  an  event 
bringing  certain  destruction.  With  a  reduced  complement  of  officers, 
the  labor  of  the  surveys  was  performed  in  addition  to  the  duties  of 
actual  sea  service  in  those  regions  of  tempestuous  character. 

In  connection  with  such  a  record  it  would  have  been  gratifying  to 
find  in  the  "  Statutes-at-Large  "  the  passage  of  a  Resolution  similar  to 
those  by  which  Congress  declared  its  appreciation  of  like  services  by 
other  Expeditions.  The  precedents  for  such  action  seem,  however, 
to  have  been  in  this  case  ignored. 


CHAPTER   V. 

EXPLORATIONS  OF  DR.   ISAAC  1.  HAYES.     (1860-1861.) 

DESIGN  OF  DR.  HAYES  FOR  A  NEW  EXPLORATION  STIOGESTED  WHILE  ON 
HIS  FIRST  VOYAGE  WITH  KANE.  —  HIS  PLANS  SUPPORTED  BY  THE 
SMITHSONIAN  AND  OTHER  INSTITUTIONS.  —  SAILS  FROM  BOSTON 
WITH  SONNTAG,  JULY  7,  1860.  —  ARRIVES  OFF  PROVEN  ON  THE 
TWENTY-FOURTH  DAY  OUT.  —  ADDS  TO  HIS  SHIP's  COMPANY  AND 
SUPPLIES  AT  UPERNAVIK.  —  CROSSES  MELVILLE  BAY  IN  FIFTY-FIVE 
HOURS  TO  CAPE  YORK. — WINTERS  AT  PORT  FOULKE.  —  OBSERVA- 
TORY SET  UP.  —  OBSERVATIONS  MADE.  —  EXPERIENCES  OF  THE 
SEASON.  —  DEATH  OF  SONNTAG,  HAJSTS'  ACCOUNT  OF  IT.  —  THE 
ARCTIC  NIGHT  DESCRIBED.  —  ATTEMPTS  TO  LAUNCH  THE  BOAT  ON 
THE  POLAB  SEA.  —  HIGHEST  POINT  REACHED.  —  BELIEF  IN  THE 
EXISTENCE  OF  THE  OPEN  SEA  CONFIRMED.  —  EXPERIENCES  OF 
RECENT  NAVIGATORS  COMPARED  WITH  THIS.  —  EXPLORATIONS  AND 
SURVEYS  MADE  ON  THE  RETURN  VOYAGE  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES.  — 
PURPOSE  OF  A  NEW  EXPEDITION.  —  RECEPTION  OF  THE  GOLD  MEDALS 
FROM  ABROAD.  — VOLUMES  PUBLISHED. 

THE  next  American  Arctic  Exploration  on  the  Northeastern  coast 
was  effected,  by  Dr.  Hayes,  surgeon  of  the  second  Grinnell  Expe- 
dition. A  new  voyage  had  suggested  itself  to  him  during  even 
the  severe  experiences  of  his  former  cruise  in  the  "Advance  " ;  but  it 
did  not  become  practicable  until  the  spring  of  the  year  1860. 

His  plans  included  an  extensive  scheme  of  discovery.  The  proposed 
route  was  again  to  be  by  way  of  Smith's  Sound,  and  his  objects  were  to 
complete  the  survey  of  the  north  coasts  of  Greenland  and  Grinnell 
Land,  and  to  make  further  explorations  towards  the  Pole,  in  order  to 
verify  the  existence  of  the  reported  open  Polar  sea,  and  carry  forward 
investigations  in  the  different  branches  of  scientific  inquiry.  On  the 
former  voyage  he  had  traced  Grinnell  Land  beyond  the  eightieth 
parallel,  and  he  now  hoped  to  pug(h  a  vessel  into  the  ice-belt  there, 
and  thence  transport  a  boat  over  it  into  the  open  water  of  the  great 
basin  which  he  hoped  to  find  beyond. 
132 


I 


DB.  ISAAC  I.  HAYES,  SURGEON  OF  THE  SECOND  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION, 
COMMANDER  OF  THE  EXPEDITION  OF   1860-61. 


Author  of  "The  Open  Polar  Sea,"  "An  Arctic  Boat  Journey,"  "The  Land  of  Desolt^ 
(ion,"  etc.  Medallist  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London,  and  of  the  SocUti  de 
Olographic  of  Paris. 


SAILING   or   THE   "UNITED   STATES/  133 

The  Expedition  received  the  support  of  the  Smithsonian,  the  U.  S. 
Coast  Survey,  and  the  scientific  societies  of  the  first  rank  in  the  United 
States  ;  while  from  abroad  came  the  warmest  expressions  of  regard  for 
its  success,  communicated  by  Sir  Roderick  I.  Murchison,  President  of 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  London  ;  with  a  liberal  contribution 
from  the  Vice-President  of  the  Soci^td  de  Geographic  of  Paris,  M.  de 
la  Roquette.  Through  the  interest  manifested  by  the  friends  of  the 
Expedition  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  Albany,  contribu- 
tions were  secured  sufficient  to  equip  one  vessel; — the  original  and 
wise  plan  of  Dr.  Hayes  to  have  two,  one  of  them  a  small  steamer,  to 
use  her  steam-power  only  in  the  ice,  was  found  impracticable. 

The  fore-and-aft  schooner  "  Spring  Hill,"  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  tons,  was  purchased  at  Boston,  her  name  being  changed  to  the 
"United  States";  a  change  legalized  by  Congress.  Mr  August  Sonntag, 
who,  since  his  return  with  Dr.  Kane,  had  been  engaged  in  scientific 
work  in  Mexico,  declined  an  appointment  as  Associate  Director  of  the 
Dudley  Observatory,  Albany,  to  be  the  astronomer  of  the  Expedition. 
He  was  the  only  educated  person  on  whom  Hayes  could  call  on  the 
cruise.     The  party  numbered  in  all  fifteen  persons. 

From  the  Smithsonian  and  the  Coast  Survey,  Hayes  had  received  a 
fair  equipment  for  scientific  investigations,  supplemented  by  additions 
from  Mr.  Tagliabue  and  Mr.  Green  of  New  York.  The  outfit  of 
clothing,  provisions,  and  ammunition  was  far  better  than  that  of  Dr. 
Kane's  in  1853. 

July  7, 1860,  the  ship  sailed  from  Boston  harbor.  Upon  her  course  for 
the  outer  Capes  of  Newfoundland,  inside  of  Sable  Island,  on  the  second 
day  out,  a  dense  fog  settled  down  for  the  anxious  term  of  six  days,  — 
at  one  time  the  black  wall  of  the  breakers  closing  fast  upon  her,  until 
the  schooner  came  round  to  the  wind,  and  a  steady  helm  saved  all. 

On  the  30th,  the  crossing  of  the  Arctic  circle  was  celebrated  by  a 
salute  and  a  display  of  bunting :  the  average  run  of  one  hundred  miles 
a  day  had  been  made  for  twenty  days;  at  midnight,  sunlight  still 
flooded  cheeringly  the  cabin  of  the  "  United  States." 

After  her  first  heavy  Arctic  experience,  the  loss  of  all  her  canvas 
except  the  mainsail  while  passing  through  Davis  Strait,  by  August  3 


134 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


she  was  but  forty  miles  from  Proven,  and  Hayes  indulged  tlie  pleasing 
hope  of  an  early  landing  ;  but  the  wind  suddenly  died  out,  keeping  her 
off  the  land  till  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  their  voyage,  when  the  harbor 
was  entered;  the  fog  then  lifting,  Greenland,  with  its  broad  valleys,  deep 
ravines,  mountains,  and  frowning  black  and  desolate  cliffs,  was  in  full 
sight,  and  iceberg  after  iceberg  burst  into  view  like  castles  in  a  fairy 
tale. 


BELTED   ICEBERG. 

As  seen  by  C.  F.  Hall  on  his  first  expedition,  1860.    (Harper  Brothers.) 

"  It  seemed,"  says  Hayes,  "  as  if  we  had  been  drawn  by  some  unseen 
hand  into  a  land  of  enchantment ;  here  was  the  Valhalla  of  the  sturdy 
Vikings,  here  the  city  of  the  Sungod  Fryer,  —  Alfheim  with  its  elfin  caves, 
and  Glitner  more  brilliant  than  the  sun,  the  home  of  the  happy; 
and  there,  piercing  the  clouds,  was  Himnborg,  the  celestial  mount."  At 
midnight  he  wrote  in  his  diary :  "  The  sea  is  smooth  as  glass,  not  a 
ripi)le  breaks  its  surface,  not  a  breath  of  air  is  stirring.  The  sun  hangs 
close  upon  the  northern  horizon  ;  the  fog  has  broken  up  into  light 
clouds ;  the  icebergs  lie  thick  about  us  ;  the  dark  headlands  stand 
boldly  out  against  the  sky ;  and  the  clouds  and  bergs  and  mountains 


HAYES   AT   UPERNAVIK. 


135 


are  bathed  in  an  atmosphere  of  crimson  and  gold  and  purple  most 
singularly  beautiful.  The  air  is  warm  almost  a^a  summer  night  at 
home,  and  yet  there  are  the  icebergs  and  the  bleak  mountains.  The 
sky  is  bright,  soft,  and  inspiring  as  the  skies  of  Italy  ;  the  bergs  have 
lost  their  chilly  appearaiice,  and,  glittering  in  the  blaze  of  the  brilliant 
heavens,  seem  in  the  distance  like  masses  of  burnished  metal  or  solid 
llame.     Nearer  at  hand  they  are  huge  blocks  of  Parian  marble,  inlaid 


UPEUNAVIK. 

Visited  by  the  U.S. S.   "Juuiata,"  Capt.  Braine,  July  31,  1873. 

with  nuumnoth  gems  of  pearl  and  gold.  Tlie  form  of  one  is  not  unlike 
that  of  the  Coliseum,  and  it  lies  so  far  away  that  half  its  height  is  buried 
beneath  the  blood-red  waters.  The  sun,  slowly  rolling  along  the 
horizon,  passed  behind  it,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  old  Roman  ruin  had 
suddenly  taken  fire."  In  the  enjoyment  of  such  views  the  explorers 
buried  their  temporary  disappointment  at  not  landing  on  the  new 
lands ;  the  twenty-fourth  day  brought  them  into  Proven. 

At  Upernavik  the  ship's  company  was  increased  by  the  addition  of 
six  persons:  Jensen,  a  Dane  who  had  lived  ten  years  in  Greenland, 
enlisting  as  an  interpreter,  three  natives  as  hunters  and  dog-diivers. 


136  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

and  two  Danes  as  sailors.  Letters  being  committed  to  the  care  of  Dr. 
Rudolph,  the  retiring  chief  trader,  who  was  about  to  retiirn  to  Denmark, 
and  would  transmit  them  to  tlie  United  States  through  the  American 
Consul  kt  Copenhagen,  the  ship  again  left  the  coast,  heading  north. 

Tessuissak  —  "  the  place  where  there  is  a  hay  "  —  was  reached  on 
the  21st,  where,  as  at  the  places  previously  visited,  the  Danish 
officers  extended  every  facility  in  their  power  to  the  ship's  company. 
Arctic  clothing  and  dog-teams  were  furnished,  the  number  of  the  teams 
being,  however,  small,  in  consequence  of  a  recent  prevalent  disease 
among  the  dogs. 

On  the  23d,  Melville  Bay  was  entered  in  a  thick  snow-storm,  but 
the  crossing  was  effected  without  encountering  much  ice ;  —  a  confirma- 
tion of  the  remarkable  diversity  of  experience  in  this  water  so  often 
adverted  to  by  Arctic  explorers.  *  The  passage  to  Cape  York  was  made 
in  fifty-five  hours.  When  nearing  the  Cape,  and  keeping  a  lookout  for 
the  appearance  of  natives,  very  soon  some  were  seen  running  down  to 
the  sea,  among  whom  was  Hans  Hendrick,  who  promptly  recognized 
his  old  companions,  Hayes  and  Sonntag,  and  desired  to  join  them. 
With  his  wife  and  babe  he  was  taken  on  board ;  but  to  prepare  the  new 
party  for  the  wearing  of  the  dress  of  civilization,  the  sailors  soon  set 
upon  them  with  the  use  of  tubs  of  warm  water,  soap,  scissors,  and  the 
comb. 

*  "  The  whalers  have  long  called  by  the  name  of  Melville  Bay  the  expansion  of  Baffin 
Bay  which  begins  at  the  south  with  the  "middle  ice,"  and  terminates  at  the  north  with 
the  "  North  Water."  The  North  Water  is  sometimes  reached  near  Cape  York,  in  latitude 
76°,  but  more  frequently  higher  up,  and  the  middle  ice,  which  is  more  generally  known  as 
the  "pack,"  sometimes  extends  to  the  Arctic  Circle.  The  pack  is  made  up  of  drifting 
ice-floes,  varying  in  extent  from  feet  to  miles,  and  in  thickness  from  inches  to  fathoms. 
These  passes  are  sometimes  pressed  closely  together,  and  having  but  little  or  no  open 
space  between  them,  and  sometimes  they  are  very  widely  separated,  depending  upon  wind 
and  time.  The  penetration  of  this  barrier  is  usually  an  undertaking  of  weeks  or  months, 
and  is  ordinarily  attended  with  much  risk. 

The  "  Fox,"  under  the  command  of  Captain  F.  L.  McClintock,  R.N.,  was  caught  in 
the  pack  on  the  18th  of  August,  1857,  in  latitude  75°  17'  N.,  longitude  62°  16'  W..  and 
was  not  liberated  until  the  25th  April,  1858,  an  interval  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  days, 
during  which  period  the  vessel  drifted  to  latitude  63°  4r  N.,  longitude  56°  36'  W.,  1,194 
geographical  miles  to  the  southward,  —  perhaps  the  longest  drift  recorded  up  to  date. 
[The  drift  of  the  floe  party  of  the  U.S.S.  "  Polaris  "  under  Tyson  was  from  latitude  77°  35' 
NT.,  to  latitude  53°  30'  N.,  —  a  distance  of  over  1,200  miles  in  190  days.] 


WINTER  QUARTERS.  137 

The  coast-line  now  presented  the  reappearance  of  the  trap  formation 
of  the  island  of  Disco,  and  showed  a  lofty  ragged  front,  broken  by  deep 
gorges  of  picturesque  view,  numerous  streams  of  ice  bursting  through 
them.  At  Cape  Athol,  on  the  southern  side  of  Wostenholme  Sound,  the 
igneous  rocks  give  place  to  lines  of  calcareous  sandstone  and  greenstone. 

August  26,  the  ship  reached  a  point  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  posi- 
tion of  the  old  seaman,  Baffin,  in  1616,  and  of  Captain  Ross,  R.N.,  in 
1818,  twenty  miles  south  of  Cape  Alexander,  the  entering  Cape  of 
Smith's  Sound.  At  the  mouth  of  this  strait  an  ice-pack  forbade 
entrance,  a  second  attempt  being  entirely  frustrated  by  a  gale  which 
drove  the  ship  off.  A  lodgment  was  secured  only  at  the  close  of  the 
sixth  day.  It  was,  however,  a  disappointment  of  the  most  serious 
character  to  Hayes  to  find  that  he  could  not  hope  to  cross  the  Sound, 
for  he  had  expected  from  the  first,  as  has  been  shown,  to  make  a  more 
successful  advance  from  the  western  side  than  Kane  had  been  able  to 
eflfect  from  Rensselaer  Bay.  In  a  little  harbor  of  Havtstene  Bay,  lati- 
tude 78°  IV  41"  N.,  longitude  72°  30'  51"  \V.,  ten  miles  northeast 
of  Cape  Alexander,  and  twenty  south  of  Kane's  harbor  in  1854-55, 
winter  quarters  were  of  necessity  prepared.  The  position  was  named 
Port  Foulke,  but  from  Foulke  Fiord  the  chances  of  a  successful  ad- 
vance in  the  succeeding  spring  were  much  diminished. 

The  preparations  for  the  coming  season  were  much  the  same  as 
those  made  by  Dr.  Kane,  and,  indeed,  by  all  Arctic  vessels,  and  need 
not  be  repeated  here.  A  house  was  built  on  shore  for  stores,  and  an 
Observatory  erected,  furnished  with  a  pendulum  apparatus,  the  beats  of 
which  numbered  3,607  in  3,600  seconds  of  time. 

On  removing  the  pendulum,  October  12,  1860,  a  unifilar  magnet- 
ometer was  mounted,  the  scale  readings  of  which  were  recorded  evtMV 
seventh  day  hourly,  and  three  times  daily  during  the  interval  tVoin 
November  to  the  month  of  March,  1861.  Four  classes  of  magnetic  obser- 
vations—  for  declination,  deflection,  vibration,  and  dip  —  were  made; 
the  series  of  all  the  observations,  including  those  of  a  later  date,  being, 
after  the  return  of  the  Expedition,  reduced  and  discussed  by  Mr. 
C.  A.  Schott  of  the  U.S.  Coast  Survey,  and  published  as  Volume  XV.  of 
the  "  Contributions  "  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 


138  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

The  therinometrical  observations  of  the  series  show  very  interesting 
points  of  the  temperatures  of  the  regions  visited  at  that  season.  Tlie 
weather  was  unlike  that  experienced  by  Kane ;  northeast  winds  fre- 
quently were  very  strong,  and  kept  the  water  constantly  open  out- 
side of  the  harbor.  The  lowest  temperature  registered  at  Port  Foulke 
was,  however,  only  —29°,  while  at  Rensselaer  Harbor,  only  twenty  miles 
further  north,  on  the  same  day  with  this  record,  Dr.  Hayes,  on  a  visit 
there,  registered  —68°  F. 

A  visit  to  "Brother  John's  Glacier" — the  one  referred  to  in  the 
explorations  of  Dr.  Kane,  and  so  called  by  him  after  his  brother.  Dr. 
J.  P.  Kane  —  was  made  in  the  Autumn  by  Hayes,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Sonntag;  a  surve}^  of  this,  renewed  after  a  lapse  of  eight  months, 
showed  a  downward  movement  of  the  glacier  of  ninety-four  feet.  A 
journey  upon  it,  and  upon  the  Mer  de  Glace  to  the  eastward,  carried 
the  explorers  about  fifty  miles  inland,  revealing  a  surface  at  first 
broken  and  irregular,  but,  as  the  party  advanced,  smooth  and  with  a 
regular  ascent.  Their  angle  of  ascent  in  travelling  was  at  the  outset 
six  degrees,  decreasing  gradually  to  two.  The  elevation  reached  was 
about  five  thousand  feet ;  but  with  the  winter  had  come  the  usual  and 
very  serious  misfortune  of  the  loss  of  the  teams,  on  which  any  explor- 
ation depended  for  success. 

THE   DEATH    OF  MR.  SONNTAG. 

Far  more  distressing  than  this  was  the  death  of  Mr.  Sonntag,  who 
perished  in  the  ice  on  his  way  with  Hans  to  visit  the  Eskimos  at  or  near 
Whale  Sound,  in  order  to  purchase  dogs  or  to  bring  the  natives  to  the 
ship,  where,  for  the  service  of  their  teams,  they  could  be  fed,  and  the 
prospective  wants  of  the  ship's  company  be  also  looked  after. 

December  22,  as  there  was,  in  Hans'  opinion,  a  probability  that  the 
Eskimos  would  be  congregating  about  Cape  York,  and  that  some  of 
them  might  be  at  Sorfalik,  or  at  other  stations  on  the  north  side  of 
Whale  Sound,  the  two  travellers  were  on  their  way,  hoping  that  they 
would  find  natives  without  going  as  far  as  Northumberland  Island,  but 
prepared,  as  they  supposed,  to  go  even  that  far.  Their  provisions 
"Were  made  up  but  for  twelve  days,  and  they  took  no  tent,  intending  to 


HANS'   ACCOUNT   OF   SONNTAG's   DEATH.  139 

rely  on  the  snow-hut,  with  the  construction  of  which  Hans  and  Sonii- 
tag  were  both  familiar.  The  latter  had  his  sleeping-bag,  and  was  in 
high  spirits  at  the  prospect  of  a  few  days'  adventure. 

The  night  following,  Hayes,  whether  from  a  natural  anxiety  for 
their  safety,  or  from  this  in  connection  with  the  small  prospect  now 
left  of  success  if  they  should  return  without  assistance  from  the  natives, 
had  a  singular  and  foreboding  dream,  which  may  be  placed  to  the 
account  of  like  coincidences  so  frequently  arising  out  of  the  conscious- 
ness of  uncertainty  in  times  of  serious  solicitude,  but  without  the  pos- 
sibility of  one's  being  able  to  account  for  the  foreshadowings  which 
they  prove  to  have  been.  He  thought  he  stood  far  out  on  the  frozen 
sea  with  Sonntag,  when  suddenly  there  came  a  crash,  and  a  crack 
ojjening  between  them,  Sonntag  sailed  away  upon  the  rough  waters. 
He  last  saw  hira,  as  he  thought,  sharply  outlined  against  a  streak  of 
light  on  the  distant  horizon ;  but  he  was  gone. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  month  Hans  came  in,  but  accompanied  only 
by  his  wife's  brother,  who  had  assisted  him  on  the  journey.  His  sad  Istory 
to  the  doctor  soon  told  all.  They  had  rounded  Cape  Alexander,  and, 
without  halting,  had  reached  Sunderland  Island,  made  their  own  snow- 
hut  at  Sorfalik,  and  proceeded  on  their  way  to  Northumberland  Island; 
but  there  the  Astronomer,  growing  a  little  chilled,  sprang  off  the  sledge, 
and  ran  ahead  to  warm  himself  by  exercise,  when  suddenly  Hans  saw 
him  sinking  through  the  thin  ice  upon  which  he  had  come,  which 
covered  a  recently  opened  tide-track.  He  drew  him  out,  but  the  chill 
was  too  severe  for  Mr.  Sonntag's  life. 

In  the  "  Memoirs  of  Hans  Hendrik,  translated  from  the  Eskimo  by 
Dr.  Rink,  Director  of  the  Greenland  Board  of  Trade,"  Hans  gives  his 
own  more  full  account  of  this  calamity :  — 

"  In  winter,  just  before  Christmas,  the  Astronomer  and  I  undertook 
a  Journey  by  sledge  to  look  for  natives.  We  crossed  [passed  by  ?]  the 
great  glacier,  and  travelled  the  whole  day  [of  course  only  twilight, 
there  being  continual  night]  without  meeting  with  any  people.  A 
strong  wind  sprang  up  from  the  north,  and  caused  a  thick-  drifting  of 
snow,  while  we  made  our  snow-hut  and  went  to  sleep.  On  wakening 
the  next  day.  it  still  blew  a  gale  and  the  snow  drifting  dreadfully,  for 


140  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

which  reason  we  resolved  to  return.  While  we  proceeded  homewards 
the  ice  began  breaking  up ;  so  we  were  forced  to  go  ashore  and  con- 
tinue our  drive  over  the  beach-ice  [ice-foot].  "We  arrived  at  a  small 
firth  and  crossed  it,  but,  on  trying  to  proceed  by  land  on  the  other 
side,  it  proved  impassable,  and  we  were  obliged  to  return  to  the  ice 
again.  On  descending  here  my  companion  fell  through  the  ice,  which 
was  nothing  but  a  thick  sheet  of  snow  and  water.  I  stooped,  but  was 
unable  to  seize  him,  it  being  very  low  tide.  As  a  last  resort,  I  remem- 
bered a  strap  hanging  on  the  sledge-poles ;  this  I  threw  to  him,  and 
when  he  had  tied  it  around  his  body  I  pulled,  but  found  it  very  diffi- 
cult. At  length  I  succeeded  in  pulling  him  up,  but  he  was  at  the 
point  of  freezing  to  death ;  and  now  in  the  storm  and  drifting  snow  he 
took  off  his  clothes  and  slipped  into  the  sleeping-bag,  whereupon  I 
placed  him  upon  the  sledge,  and  repaired  to  our  last  resting-place. 

"  Our  road  being  very  rough,  I  cried  from  despair  for  want  of  help  ; 
but  I  reached  the  snow-hut,  and  brought  him  inside.  I  was,  however, 
unable  to  kindle  a  fire,  and  was  myself  overpowered  with  cold.  My 
companion  grew  still  worse,  although  placed  in  the  bearskin  bag,  but 
with  nothing  else  than  his  shirt.  By-and-by  his  breathing  grew 
scarcer,  and  I  too  began  to  feel  extremely  cold,  on  account  of  now 
standing  still,  after  having  perspired  with  exertion.  During  the  whole 
night  my  friend  still  breathed,  but  he  drew  his  breath  at  long  intervals, 
and  towards  morning  only  very  rarely."  .  .  . 

After  detailing  his  own  severe  sufferings,  and  his  return  to  the  brig, 
and  the  assistance  given  him  on  the  way  by  some  friends  and  relatives^ 
Hans  continues :  — 

"  On  ray  arrival  I  found  my  dear  wife  tolerably  well ;  but  I  could 
not  be  happy,  since  I  left  that  friend  of  mine  who  had  loved  me  so 
kindly,  and  who  also,  some  winters  before,  when  we  spent  three  years 
together,  had  treated  me  with  such  goodness.  Our  Commander  Ese, 
[Hayes]  was  gladdened  by  my  arrival,  as  he  had  believed  me  to  be 
lost.  He  inquired  where  I  had  left  my  friend.  I  replied,  '  On  leaving 
him  I  covered  him  entirely  with  snow ;  now  I  will  soon  go  to  fetch  his 
corpse.'  But  he  said,  '  When  the  days  grow  longer  thou  may'st  go  for 
it ;  but  now  first  try  to  get  some  reindeer ;  we  are  longing  for  reindeer 
meat.' 


^  HANS'   MEMOIRS   OF   HIMSELF.  141 

"  I  then  remained  several  days  to  await  a  brighter  season.  The  first 
day  I  went  out  shooting  I  got  a  large  rein-buck.  Afterwards  I  hunted 
every  day,  sometimes  bringing  home  two  deer,  sometimes  three.  At 
last,  when  bright  sunshine  had  begun,  a  sledge  arrived,  which  was 
engaged  to  accompany  me.  We  also  got  the  ship's  mate  for  our  com- 
panion. When  we  arrived  we  dug  among  the  snow,  and  brought  forth 
the  dead  man,  still  enveloped  in  his  bag.  I  feared  the  foxes  might 
have  eaten  the  body,  but  even  the  bag  was  quite  untouched.  We 
deposited  him  in  my  sledge,  the  mate  followed  with  my  comrade, 
and  we  came  back  to  the  ship  in  the  evening.  They  brought  the 
corpse  into  the  Captain's  cabin  for  him  to  thaw.  The  next  day,  when 
I  saw  our  Commander,  he  said,  '  I  thank  thee  for  thy  having  taken 
care  of  him.'  "  * 

The  simplicity  of  the  narrative  of  Hans,  shown  throughout  his 
whole  story  of  the  four  Expeditions  in  which  he  was  engaged,  seems 
fully  to  justify  the  conclusions  at  which  Dr.  Hayes,  after  much  anxiety, 
arrived,  as  to  the  fidelity  of  the  native  in  this  matter.  At  first  there 
seemed  ground  for  the  suspicion  that  the  object  of  the  proposition 
when  it  came  from  Hans,  to  visit  the  Cape,  was  in  reality  to  visit  his 
relatives  there,  and  bring  them  up  to  be  near  him ;  for  now  three  of 
them  were  on  board  ship.     Nor  was  it  at  all  satisfactory  to  have  had  no 


*  Captain  Nares  says  of  Hans,  when  employed  by  him,  "  He  proved  to  be  an  admirable 
hunter  and  an  excellent  dog-driver.  When  a  lad  of  nineteen  years  (in  1853)  he  joined 
Dr.  Kane's  expedition.  After  rendering  invaluable  services  to  his  companions  during 
their  two  winters'  stay  at  Rensselaer  Harbor,  Smith  Sound,  he  married  Merkat,  the 
daughter  of  Shanghu,  one  of  the  '  Arctic  Highlanders,'  who  tended  him  while  lying  sick 
al  Hartstene  Bay.  He  remained  behind  with  his  wife  when  Dr.  Kane  abandoned  his 
vessel  and  travelled  south  to  Upernavik  in  boats. 

"  In  1860,  after  he  had  passed  five  years  with  the  *  Arctic  Highlanders,'  Dr.  Hayes,  find- 
ing Hans  at  Cape  York,  took  him  and  wife  and  child  on  board  his  vessel,  the  '  United 
States.'  On  the  homeward  voyage,  in  1861,  he  was  landed,  with  his  belongings,  at  Uper- 
navik. In  1871  he  joined  Captain  Hall,  in  the  'Polaris,'  taking  his  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren with  him.  He  was  one  of  the  party  who  was  separated  from  the  '  Polaris '  in  a  gale 
of  wind,  and  drifted  during  the  long  winter  of  1872-73  from  Smith  Sound  to  the  south- 
ward of  Hudson's  Straits.  During  this  time  he  and  Joe  —  another  Eskimo  —  preserved 
the  lives  of  their  companions  by  their  indefatigable  and  noble  exertions  in  hunting  and 
procuring  seals." 

"  Hans'  Memoirs,"  translated  by  Dr.  Rink,  and  edited  by  Dr.  Stevens,  is  a  curious  pro- 
duction, interesting  by  its  simple  native  expressions,  some  of  which  could  not  bear  precise 
translation.     The  visit  to  New  York  and  Washington  will  amuse  the  reader. 


142  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

message  from  the  ^Vstroiiomer,  or  to  think  that  he  would  have  travelled 
five  miles  in  wet  clothing,  especially  as  he  was  accompanied  by  one  who 
was  familiar  with  provision  for  such  necessities,  and  who  could  have 
made  him  immediatel}'^  comfortable  in  the  sleeping-bag  until  he  had 
dried  the  clothing.  Yet,  as  Hans  constantly  repeated  identically  the 
same  story  in  a  straightforward  way,  and  as  it  was  at  all  times  for  his 
own  interest  to  be  faithful  to  the  one  who,  of  all  on  the  ship,  was  his 
best  friend.  Dr.  Hayes  settled  into  the  assurance  that  it  was  a  true 
account  whicli  had  been  given,  and  that  it  would  be  unreasonable,  as 
well  as  unjust,  to  suspect  Hans  of  desertion. 

In  the  middle  of  the  month  following,  when  the  season  permitted 
it,  the  body  was  recovered  by  the  assistance  of  Mate  Henry  Dodge  of 
the  ship,  who  went  down  to  Sorfalik  with  two  dog-teams,  one  driven 
by  Hans  and  one  by  a  native  who  had  come  into  the  ship.  Hans 
without  difficulty  recognized  the  locality  by  a  rock  near  by,  but  the 
remains  were  disinterred  with  extreme  labor,  the  winds  having  piled 
up  the  snow  to  the  complete  burial  of  the  hut.  The  thermometer 
stood  at  forty  degrees  below  zero. 

Mr.  Sonntag's  body  was  placed  in  the  Observatory,  "  where  his  fine 

mind  had  been  intent,  a  few  weeks  before,  on  pursuits  the  delight  of 

his  life,"  until  a  grave  was  dug  in  the  frozen  terrace ;  then  the  burial 

service  was  read,  and  afterward  a  neat  mound  raised,  with  a  chiselled 

inscription :  — 

AUGUST  SONNTAG. 

Died,  December  28,  1868, 

Aged  28  years. 

A  cross  surmounted  the  monument.*  • 

The  experience  of  the  weary  Arctic  night  of  months,  in  place  of 
the  days  which  the  inliabitant  of  ha[)pier  climes  enjoys,  has  been  spread 

*  In  the  vestibule  of  the  Dudley  Observatory,  Albany,  hangs  a  portrait  of  the  young 
astronomer.  Under  it  are  the  sad  words,  "Perished  in  the  ice  at  Port  Foulkc,  latitude 
78°  17'  14"  N.,  December  28,  1800."  On  the  faded  United  States  flag  draped  above  the 
young  man's  liead  are  the  words,  "From  his  class  in  Albany  Female  Academy,  June, 
1860."  May  7,  1873,  Dr.  Emil  Bessels  and  Mr.  R.  W.  D.  Bryan,  of  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Polaris," 
when  visiting  Port  Foulke,  found  the  Astronomer's  grave  despoiled  by  the  Eskimos,  for 
the  sake  of  the  wood  of  his  coffin.  The  travellers  replaced  the  remains,  refilled  the  grave, 
and  reset  tlie  lu-adstone. 


144  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

upon  the  records  of  all  Arctic  explorers ;  and  the  wonderful  power  of 
partial  adaptation  in  man  to  the  strange  circumstances  in  which  he 
finds  himself  when  in  the  new  regions  of  darkness  —  the  peculiar  sen- 
timents which  such  changed  relations  inspire  —  are  most  forcibly  and 
happily  expressed  in  the  volume  from  which  most  of  the  preceding 
narrative  is  drawn.  A  citation  from  Hayes'  Journal  will  be  appre- 
ciated :  "  January  16, 1861.  Our  eyes  now  turn  wistfully  to  the  South, 
eagerly  watching  for  the  tip  of  Aurora's  chariot,  as  the  fair  goddess  of 
the  mornijig  rises  from  the  sea  to  drop  a  ray  of  gladness  from  her  rosy 
fingers  into  this  long-neglected  world.  It  is  almost  a  month  since  we 
passed  the  darkest  day  of  winter,  and  it  will  be  a  long  time  yet  before 
we  have  light ;  but  it  is  time  for  us  now  to  have  at  noontime  a  faint 
flush  upon  the  horizon.  A  faint  twilight  flush  mounting  the  southern 
sky  to-day  at  the  meridian  hour,  though  barely  perceptible,  was  a 
cheering  sight  to  all.  We  feel  that  the  veil  of  night  is  lifting,  that  the 
cloud  is  passing  away,  that  the  load  of  darkness  is  being  lightened.  .  .  . 
"  The  people  have  exhausted  their  means  of  amusement ;  we  long 
for  tKe  day  and  for  work.  Talk  as  you  will  of  pluck  and  of  manly 
amusement,  this  Arctic  night  is  a  severe  ordeal.  It  is  a  severe  trial  to 
the  moral  and  the  intellectual  faculties.  The  cheering  influences  of 
the  rising  sun,  which  invite  to  labor ;  the  soothing  influences  of  the 
evening  twilight,  which  invite  to  repose ;  the  change  from  day  to  night 
and  from  night  to  day,  which  lightens  the  burden  to  the  weary  mind 
and  the  aching  body,  is  withdrawn ;  and,  in  the  constant  longing  for 
light,  light,  the  mind  and  body,  weary  with  the  changeless  progress 
of  the  time,  fail  to  find  repose  where  all  is  rest.  The  grandeur  of 
Nature  ceases  to  giVe  delight  to  the  dull  sympathies ;  -the  heart  longs 
for  new  associations,  new  objects,  and  new  companionships ;  the  dark 
and  dreary  solitude  oppresses  the  understanding ;  the  desolation  which 
reigns  everywhere  haunts  the  imagination ;  the  silence  —  dark,  dreary, 
and  profound  —  becomes  a  terror.  I  have  gone  out  into  the  Arctic 
night,  and  viewed  Nature  in  her  varied  aspects.  I  have  rejoiced  with 
her  in  her  strength,  and  communed  with  her  in  repose.  I  have  walked 
abroad  in  the  darkness,  when  the  winds  were  roaring  through  the  hills 
and  crashing  over  the  plains.     I  have  wandered  far  out  in  upon  the 


THE   AIICTIC   NIGHT.  145 

frozen  sea,  and  listened  to  the  voice  of  the  icebergs,  bewailing  their 
imprisonment;  along  the  glacier,  where  forms  and-falls  the  avalanche*; 
up  on  the  hill-top,  where  the  drifting  snow,  coursing  its  way  over  'the 
rocks,  sang  its  plaintive  song;  and  again  I  have  wand'ered  away  to  the 
distant  valley,  where  all  these  sounds  were  hushed,  and  the  air  was 
still  and  solemn  as  the  tomb. 

"  And  here  it  is  that  the  true  spirit  of  the  Arctic  night  is  revealed, 
where  its  wonders  are  unloosed,  to  sport  and  play  with  the  mind's  vain 
imaginings.  The  heavens  above  and  the  earth  beneath  reveal  only  an 
endless  and  fathomless  quiet;  there  is  nowhere  evidence  of  life  or 
motion ;  I  stand  alone  amidst  the  mighty  hills ;  their  tall  crests  climb 
upward,  and  are  lost  in  the  gray  vault  of  the  skies,  their  dark  cliffe,- 
standing  against  their  slopes  of  white,  are  the  steps  of  a  vast  amphi- 
theatre. The  mind,  finding  no  rest  on  their  bald  summits,  wanders 
into  space ;  the  moon,  weary  with  long  vigil,  sinks  to  her  repose ;  the 
Pleiades  no  longer  breathe  their  sweet  influences;  Cassiopeia  and 
Andromeda  and  Orion,  and  all  the  infinite  host  of  the  unnumbered 
constellations,  fail  to  infuse  one  spark  of  joy  into  this  dead  atmosphere  ; 
they  have  lost  all  their  tenderness,  and  are  cold  and  pulseless.  The 
eye  leaves  them  and  returns  to  earth,  and  the  trembling  ear  awaits 
something  that  will  break  the  oppressive  stillness.  But  no  footfall  of 
living  thing  reaches  it,  no  wild  beast  howls  through  the  solitude. 
There  is  no  cry  of  bird  to  enliven  the  scene ;  no  tree  among  whose 
branches  the  winds  can  sigh  and  moan.  The  pulsations  of  my  own 
heart  are  alone  heard  in  the  great  void ;  and,  as  the  blood  courses 
through  the  sensitive  organization  of  the  ear,  I  am  oppressed  as  with 
discordant  sounds.  Silence  has  ceased  to  be  negative ;  it  has  become 
endowed  with  positive  attributes.  I  seem  to  hear  and  see  and  feel  it. 
It  stands  forth  as  a  frightful  spectre,  filling  the  mind  with  the  over- 
powering consciousness  of  universal  death,  —  proclaiming  the  end  of 
all  things  and  heralding  the  everlasting  future.  Its  presence  is  unen- 
durable. I  spring  from  the  rock  upon  which  I  have  been  seated ;  I 
plant  my  feet  heavily  in  the  snow,  to  banish  its  awful  presence,  and 
the  sound  rolls  through  the  night  and  drives  away  the  phantom. 

"I  have  seen  no  expression  on  the  face  of  Nature  so  filled  with 
terror  as  the  Silence  of  the  Arctic  Night." 


lXu.<a|iatui»bi« 


HAYES'   HIGHEST   POINT.  147 

In  the  early  Spring  the  Eskimos  replenished  the  dog-teams  to  the 
number  of  twenty.  Several,  however,  died  as  before.  With  the  rest  a 
provision  depot  for  the  Summer  use  was  soon  established,  and  on  the 
4th  of  April,  1861,  Hayes,  with  twelve  officers  and  men,  started  out  on 
his  principal  and  long  and  still-cherished  journey  to  the  North.  His 
equipment  consisted  of  a  metallic  life-boat,  mounted  on  runners,  with 
provisions  for  seven  persons  for  five  months,  and  for  six  persons  and 
fourteen  dogs  for  six  weeks.  He  was,  however,  again  compelled  to  keep 
to  the  eastern  shore,  and,  consequently,  encountered  the  same  experi- 
ence of  ice-hummocks  with  which  Kane  had  met ;  and  finally  finding  it 
impossible  to  transport  the  boat  brought  out  in  the  fond  anticipation 
of  pushing  it  out  on  the  Polar  waters,  he  sent  it  back  with  the  main 
party,  while  he  continued  the  journey  with  two  companions  only. 
But  with  these  he  reached  the  west  coast  by  nearly  the  same  track  fol- 
lowed by  him  in  1854,  corrected  some  errors  of  the  chart  made  at  that 
time,  entered  Kennedy  Channel,  and  on  the  16th  of  the  month  attained 
a  point  forty  miles  further  north  than  Kane's  highest  on  the  opposite 
shore.  Returning  in  the  same  track,  he  reached  his  vessel  after  an 
absence  of  fifty-nine  days,  and  a  journey  of  comings  and  goings  of 
fourteen  hundred  miles.  To  the  highest  point  reached  he  gave  the 
name  of  Cape  Lieber.  To  the  north  lay  the  excellent  bay  named  Lady 
Franklin  Bay.  In  the  far  distance,  north  of  Cape  Beechey,  a  headland 
was  seen,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Cape  Union. 

On  Cape  Lieber,  latitude  81®  35'  N.,  longitude  70°  30'  W.,  May  18, 
1861,  he  unfurled  the  United  States  boat's  ensign  which  had  been 
carried  in  the  Antarctic  Expedition  of  Wilkes,  and  in  those  of  De 
Haven  and  Kane,  with  several  other  flags  intrusted  to  him  by  Masonic 
lodges  in  New  York  and  Boston,  and  one  presented  to  the  lamented 
Mr.  Sonntag  by  the  ladies  of  the  Albany  Academy,  being  "  under 
obligation  to  unfurl  all  these  at  the  most  northern  point  attained." 
His  record  of  the  visit,  recounting  his  journey  of  forty-six  days  from 
Port  Foulke,  with  his  companion,  Mr.  Knorr,  was  deposited  within  a 
glass  vial  beneath  a  cairn. 

The  stay  in  Kennedy  Channel  was  from  the  12th  to  the  23d  of 
May,  a  period  of  the  year  six  weeks  earlier  than  the  time  when  Morton 


148 


AMBKICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


reported  to  Kane  an  open  sea  in  this  channel  and  north  of  it.  Dr. 
Hayes  did  not  find  open  water,  but  much  decayed  and  thin  ice,  and  in 
some  places  pools  of  water ;  in  one,  a  flock  of  waterfowl,  —  the  Uria 
Gryllae^  Dovekies.  He  observed  some  indications  of  "  the  region  to 
the  northward  being  annually  opened."  The  coast  on  the  west  side  of 
Kennedy  Channel,  especially  where  exposed  to  the  northeast,  Avas  lined 
with  a  heavy  ridge  of  ice,  which  had  been  forced  up  under  the  influ- 
ence of  great  pressure.     Many  of  the  masses  were  as  much  as  sixty 


■  UNFURLING   THE   FLAGS." 

feet  in  height,  and  they  were  lying  high  and  dry  upon  the  beach.  The 
pressure  necessary  to  occasion  this  result  could  not  possibly  be  created, 
he  thought,  by  ice-fields  moving  over  a  narrow  channel,  and  he  believed 
the  result  to  have  been  produced  by  ice-fields  of  great  extent  coming 
down  under  the  influence  of  winds  and  the  current  from  a  vast  open 
area  to  the  northward.  As  during  his  voyage  with  Kane,  and  after- 
ward upon  this  exploration,  as  well  as  through  the  rest  of  his  life,  he 
remained  the  steadfast  advocate  of  the  existence  of  "  this  Open  Polar 
Sea,"  entitling  thus  the  vohime  in  which  he  gave  to  t\\e  world  the 
account   of  this  voyage    of    1860 ;    frequently,   also,  by  lectures  and 


HAYES  ON  AN   OPEN   POLAR   SEA.  149 

through  the  press,  upholding  the  theory,  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to 
accredit  him  more  fully  with  his  arguments  in  his  own  language.  His 
sincere  convictions  will  be  compared  by  the  reader  with  the  experi- 
ences and  views  of  later  explorers,  especially  those  of  Hall  and 
Budington,  of  the  "Polaris,"  and  of  Captain  Nares,  of  the  English 
Expedition  of  1875,  to  which  a  fuller  reference  is  invited. 

In  Chap.  XXXII.  of  the  volume  just  cited,  after  referring  the  reader 
to  the  three  breaks  in  the  long  line  of  Northern  coast  through  which 
the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans  enter  the  Northern 
basin.  Dr.  Hayes  says :  "  If  one  traces  the  currents  on  the  map,  and 
follows  the  Gulf  Stream  as  it  flows  northward,  pouring  the  warm 
waters  of  the  Tropic  Zone  through  the  broad  gateway  east  of  Spitz- 
bergen,  and  forcing  out  a  return  current  of  cold  waters  to  the  west  of 
Spitzbergen  and  through  Davis  Strait,  he  will  very  readily  comprehend 
why,  in  this  incessant  displacement  of  the  waters  of  the  Pole  by  the 
waters  of  the  Equator,  the  great  body  of  the  former  is  never  chilled  to 
within  several  degrees  of  the  freezing  point ;  and  since  it  is  probably 
as  deep,  as  it  is  almost  as  broad,  as  the  Atlantic  between  Europe  and 
America,  he  will  be  prepared  to  understand  that  this  vast  body  of 
water  tempers  the  whole  region  with  a  warmth  above  that  which  is 
otherwise  natural  to  it ;  and  that  the  Almighty  hand,  in  the  all-wise 
dispensation  of  His  power,  has  thus  placed  a  bar  to  its  congelation : 
and  he  will  read  in  tliis  anothet  symbol  of  Nature's  great  law  of  circu- 
lation, which,  giving  water  to  the  parched  earth  and  moisture  to  t\e 
air,  moderates  as  well  the  temperature  of  the  Zones  —  cooling  the 
Tropic  with  a  current  of  water  from  the  Frigid,  and  warming  the 
Frigid  with  a  current  from  the  Tropic." 

"  Bearing  these  facts  in  mind,  the  reader  will  perceive  that  it  is  the 
surface  water  only  which  ever  reaches  so  low  a  temperature  that  it  is 
changed  to  ice ;  and  he  will  also  perceive  that  when  the  wind  '  moves 
the  surface  water,  the  particles  which  have  become  chilled  by  contact 
with  the  air  mingle  in  the  rolling  waves  with  the  warm  waters  beneath, 
and  hence  that  ice  can  only  form  in  sheltered  places,  or  where  the 
water  of  some  bay  is  so  shoal,  and  the  current  so  slack,  that  it  becomes 
chilled  to  the  very  bottom,  or  where  the  air  over  the  sea  is  uniformly 


150  AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE    ICE   ZONES. 

calm.  He  will  remember,  however,  that  the  winds  blow  us  Hercely 
over  the  Polar  Sea  as  in  any  other  quarter  of  the  world ;  and  he  will, 
therefore,  have  no  difficulty  in  comprehending  that  the  Polar  ice  covers 
but  a  small  part  of  the  Polar  water ;  and  that  it  exists  only  where  it  is 
nursed  and  protected  by  the  land.  It  clings  to  the  coasts  of  Siberia, 
and  springing  thence  across  Behring  Strait  to  America,  it  hugs  the 
American  shore,  fills  the  narrow  channels  which  drain  the  Polar 
waters  into  Baffin  Bay  through  the  Parry  Archipelago ;  crosses  thence 
to  Greenland,  from  Greenland  to  Spitzbergen,  and  from  Spitzbergen  to 
Nova  Zembla,  —  thus  investing  the  Pole  in  an  uninterrupted  land- 
clinging  belt  of  ice,  more  or  less  broken,  as  well  in  Winter  as  in  Sum- 
mer, and  the  fragments  ever  moving  to  and  fro,  though  never  widely 
separating,  forming  a  barrier  against  which  all  the  arts  and  energies  of 
man  have  not  hitherto  prevailed.'  .  .  . 

"  With  the  warm  flood  of  the  Gulf  Stream  pouring  northward,  and 
keeping  the  waters  of  the  Polar  Sea  at  a  temperature  above  the 
freezing  point,  while  the  winds,  blowing  as  constantly  under  the 
Arctic  as  under  the  Tropic  sky,  and  the  ceaseless  currents  of  the  sea 
and  the  tide-flow  of  the  surface  keep  the  waters  ever  in  movement,  it 
is  not  possible  that  even  any  considerable  portion  of  this  extensive  sea 
can  be  frozen  over.  At  no  point  within  the  Arctic  Circle  has  there 
been  found  an  ice-belt  extending,  either  in  Winter  or  in  Summer,  more 
than  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  miles  from  land.  And  even  in  the  nar- 
row channels  separating  the  islands  of  the  Parry  Archipelago,  in 
Baffin  Bay  in  the  North  Water,  and  the  mouth  of  Smith  Sound,  — 
everywhere  within  the  broad  area  of  the  Frigid  Zone,  the  waters  will 
not  freeze  except  when  sheltered  by  the  land,  or  when  an  ice-pack, 
accumulated  by  a  long  continuance  of  winds  from  one  quarter,  affords 
the  same  protection.  That  the  sea  does  not  close  except  when  at  rest, 
I  had  abundant  reason  to  know  during  the  late  winter  ;  for  at  all 
times,  even  when  the  temperature  of  the  air  was  below  the  freezing 
point  of  mercury,  I  could  hear  from  the  deck  of  the  schooner  the  roar 
of  the  beating  waves." 

Influenced  chiefly  by  such  indications  as  these,  additionally  to 
his  strong  confidence  in  the  extent  of  the  open  water  reported  by 


r 


NARES   ON   AN   OPEN   POLAK  SEA.  151 

Morton,  and  by  the  observations  made  by  more  than  one  Explorer  of 
the  migrations  of  animal  life  Northward,  Dr.  Hayes  felt  himself  justi- 
fied in  affirming  that  an  open  sea  exists,  and  that  both  it  and  the 
North  Pole  may  be  reached  with  steam  vessels  by  pushing  through  the 
ice-belt,  either  through  Smith's  Sound,  or  by  a  route  west  and  north  of 
Spitzbergen.  In  this  conviction,  he  entertained,  after  his  return,  the 
hope  of  going  back  in  the  early  part  of  the  following  Spring,  and 
reacliing  the  Open  Sea,  if  not  in  one  season,  in  the  next.  His  plans 
for  this,  however,  were  suspended  instantly  on  his  landing  at  Boston, 
by  the  news  of  the  existing  conflict  against  the  Government,  to  which 
he  immediately  offered  his  services  and  his  ship. 

It  will  not  be  out  of  place  here,  while  according  the  highest  esti- 
mate of  Dr.  Hayes'  ability  and  of  his  reasonings  and  convictions,  to 
bring  beside  this  much-discussed  question  of  the  Open  Sea,  the  consid- 
eration which  it  has  received  by  two  of  the  later  explorers,  Nares  and 
Koldwey.  The  experience  of  the  "  Polaris,"  under  Captain  Hall,  will 
be  stated  in  the  notice  of  that  American  Exploration. 

In  the  Introduction  to  the  "  Narrative  of  the  English  Expedition  of 
1875,"  under  Captain  Nares,  Captain  Richards,  Hydrographer  to  the 
Admiralty,  says:  "The  latter-day  theory  of  an  open  Polar  Sea  rests  on 
no  foundation,  practical  or  philosophical.  Even  if  it  could  be  sliown 
that  a  somewhat  higher  mean  temperature  is  theoretically  due  in  that 
area  where  the  sun  is  for  six  consecutive  months  above  the  horizon, 
and  for  a  similar  period  below  it,  this  would  avail  nothing ;  for  the 
dissolution  of  the  Winter's  ice  is  not  dependent  on  the  influence  of  the 
Summer's  heat  alone ;  otherwise  the  difficulties  of  Arctic  navigation 
would  disappear,  at  any  rate  for  some  short  period,  during  every  season. 

"A  variety  of  other  elements  are  equally  as  important.  Chief 
among  them  is  the  action  of  the  winds  and  tides  to  break  up  the 
decaying  floes,  but  paramount  above  all  others  is  the  necessity  for  suffi- 
cient outlets  for  the  escape  of  the  ice  so  broken  up  throughout  the 
vast  area  of  the  Polar  basin.  These  outlets  we  know  do  not  exist ;  an 
insignificant  point  of  land,  moreover,  will  act  as  a  wedge,  or  the  preva- 
lence of  an  unfavorable  wind  for  a  few  days  at  the  critical  period  will 
suffice   to  decide   the  question   whetlier  sucli   inlets,  so  important   as 


152  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Wellington  Channel  or  Smith  Sound,  will  be  closed  or  open  during  a 
season.  From  a  ship's  masthead  or  a  mountain-summit  the  visible 
horizon  is  limited  by  the  curvature  of  the  earth,  and  those  who  have 
navigated  in  these  regions  will  well  remember  how  one  short  hour  has 
carried  them  from  an  aj)parently  open  sea  to  a  dead-lock,  with  no 
streak  of  water  in  sight.  Water-skies  are  delusive ;  an  insignificant 
crack  or  lane  in  the  ice  will  produce  them,  and  the  only  admissible 
evidence  of  a  Polynia  or  navigable  Polar  basin  must  be  the  fact  that  a 
ship  has  sailed  through  it." 

Such  a  voyage  may  now  be  assumed  as  impracticable,  and,  in  regard 
to  a  lengthened  journey  over  the  Polar  pack  ice  with  a  sledge  party 
equipped  with  a  boat  fit  for  navigable  purposes,  this  also  is  aflirmed  by 
Captain  Nares  on  the  experience  of  Markham,  Parry,  and  Weyprecht 
to  be  equally  impossible  at  any  season  of  the  year. 

There  may  be  further  cited  at  this  point,  in  relation  to  the  problem 
of  the  "  Open  Sea,"  the  suggestion  of  Captain  Nares,  recorded  in  his 
Journal  of  June  22,  1876 :  "  It  would  appear  that  the  sun,  unassisted 
by  other  causes,  is,  after  a  cold  winter,  not  sufficiently  powerful  to 
produce  a  thaw  on  a  snow-clad  ground  until  it  attains  an  altitude  of 
about  30° ;  if  this  is  the  case,  then  at  the  North  Pole  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  snow  ever  becomes  melted ; "  and  further,  the  opinions  of 
Captain  'Feilden,  the  naturalist  of  the  Expedition,  and  his  comrades, 
that  animal  and  vegetable  life  "  specifically  and  numerically  must  rap- 
idly decrease  with  every  degree  of  northern  latitude  after  passing  the 
eighty-second  parallel."  Captain  Feilden  adds  :  "  If,  however,  there  be 
an  extension  of  land  to  the  northernmost  part  of  our  globe,  I  see  no 
reason  why  a  few  species  of  birds  should  not  resort  there  to  breed. 
There  would  still  be  sufficient  summer,  if  such  a  term  may  be  used,  for 
the  period  of  incubation ;  and  from  what  I  have  seen  of  the  transport- 
ing powers  of  the  wind  in  drifting  seeds  over  the  frozen  expanse  of 
the  Polar  Sea,  I  cannot  doubt  that  a  scanty  flora  exists  at  the  Pole 
itself,  if  there  be  any  land  there,  and  that  the  abundance  of  insect-life 
which  exists  as  high  as  the  eighty-third  degree  will  be  present  at  the 
ninetieth,  sufficient  to  provide  for  a  few  knots„sanderlings,  and  turn 
stones."     To  this  may  be  added  the  remark  of  Captain  Koldwey,  of 


GREENLAND  GLACIERS.  153 

the  North  German  Arctic  Expedition  of  1869-70,  that  "  the  existence 
of  an  open  sea  is  founded  on  appearances  which  prove  nothing  more 
than  the  fact  of  a  patch  of  open  water." 

DR.   HAYES   ON   THE  GLACIER   SYSTEM   OF   GREENLAND. 

In  Chapter  XI.  of  his  volume,  "  The  Open  Polar  Sea,"  Dr.  Hayes, 
after  detailing  the  incidents  of  his  visit  to  "  My  Brother  John's  Gla- 
cier," in  Chester  Valley  (discovered  by  Dr.  Kane,  in  1855,  and  so 
named  by  him  from  the  name  of  his  brother,  the  assistant-surgeon  of 
Hartstene's  expedition),  enters  into  a  general  discussion  of  the  Glacier 
System  of  Greenland.  He  prefaces  the  discussion  by  the  statement 
that  his  journey  had  been  the  first  successful  attempt  till  then  made  to 
penetrate  into  the  interior  over  the  Mer  de  Glace^  the  vastness  of 
which  impressed  him  still  more  than  on  a  previous  visit.  He  then 
says :  "  Greenland  may  indeed  be  regarded  as  a  vast  reservoir  of  ice. 
Upon  the  slopes  of  its  lofty  hills,  the  downy  snowflake  has  become  the 
hardened  crystal ;  and,  increasing  little  by  little  from  year  to  yeai-  and 
from  century  to  century,  a  broad  cloak  of  frozen  vapor  has  at  length 
completely  overspread  the  land,  and  along  its  wide  border  there  pour  a 
thousand  crystal  streams  into  the  sea.  [Confirmed  by  Nordenskiold 
in  1883.] 

"The  manner  of  the  glacier  growth,  beginning  in  some  remote 
epoch,  when  Greenland,  nursed  in  warmth  and  sunshine,  was  clothed 
with  vegetation,  is  a  subject  of  much  interest  to  the  student  of  physi- 
cal geography.  The  explanation  of  the  phenomena  is,  however, 
greatly  simplified  by  the  knowledge  which  various  explorers  have  con- 
tributed from  the  Alps,  —  a  quarter  having  all  the  value  of  the  Green- 
land mountains,  as  illustrating  the  laws  which  govern  the  formation 
and  movements  of  mountain-ice,  and  which  possesses  the  important 
advantage  of  greater  accessibility.  ...  It  was  easy  to  perceive  in  the 
grand  old  bed  of  ice  over  which  I  had  travelled,  thgse  same  physical 
markings  which  had  arrested  the  attention  of  Agassiz  and  Forbes  and 
Tyndall,  and  it  was  a  satisfaction  to  have  confirmed  by  actual  experi- 
ment in  the  field  the  reflections  of  the  study  —  to  be  able  to  make  a 
comparison  between  the  Alpine  and  the  Greenland  ice." 


164  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

In  drawing  out  this  comparison,  Dr.  Hayes  cites  the  opinions  of  M. 
Le  Chanoine  Rendu,  Bishop  of  Anne§y,  whose  lifetime  had  been  spent 
among  the  rugged  crags  and  ice-cliffs  of  the  Alpine  mountains,  and 
the  results  of  whose  investigations  are  to  be  found  in  the  Memoirs  of 
the  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences  of  Savoy.  The  Abb^,  in  his  essay, 
"  comes  to  the  very  rational  conclusion  "  that  the  glacier  and  the  river 
are  in  effect  the  same ;  that  between  them  there  is  a  resemblance  so 
complete  that  it  is  impossible  to  find  in  the  latter  a  circumstance  which 
does  not  exist  in  the  former ;  and  as  the  river  drains  the  waters  which 
fall  upon  the  hillsides  to  the  ocean,  so  the  glacier  drains  the  ice  which 
forms  from  the  snows  on  the  mountain-sides  down  to  the  same  level. 
And  he  closes  his  argument  with  declaring  the  law :  — 

"The  conserving  will  of  the  Creator  has  employed  for  the  perma- 
nence of  His  work  the  great  law  of  circulation,  which,  strictly  exam- 
ined, is  found  to  reproduce  itself  in  all  parts  of  Nature."  To  which 
citations  Dr.  Hayes  adds :  "  A  glacier  is,  in  effect,  but  a  flowing  stream 
of  frozen  water ;  and  the  river  systems  of  the  Temperate  and  Equato- 
rial Zones  become  the  glacier  systems  of  the  Arctic  and  the  Antarctic. 
The  iceberg  is  the  discharge  of  the  Arctic  river,  the  Arctic  river  is  the 
glacier,  and  the  glacier  is  the  accumulation  of  the  frozen  vapors  of  the 
air.  Moving  on  its  slow  and  steady  course  from  the  distant  hills,  at 
length  it  reaches  the  sea,  which  tears  from  the  slothful  stream  a  mon- 
strous fragment,  taking  back  to  itself  its  own  again.  Freed  from  the 
shackles  which  it  has  borne  in  silence  through  unnumbered  centuries, 
this  new-born  child  of  the  ocean  rushes  with  a  wild  bound  into  the 
arms  of  the  parent  water,  where  it  is  caressed  by  the  surf  and  nursed 
into  life  again ;  and  the  crystal  drops  receive  their  long-lost  free- 
dom, and  fly  away  on  the  laughing  waves  to  catch  once  more  the 
sunbeam,  and  to  run  again  their  course  through  the  long  cycle  of  the 
ages." 

And  this  iceberg  has  more  significance  than  the  great  flood  which 
the  glacier's  southern  sister  —  the  broad  Amazon  —  pours  into  the 
ocean  from  the  slopes  of  the  Andes  and  the  mountains  of  Brazil. 
Solemn,  stately,  and  erect,  in  tempest  and  in  calm  it  rides  the  deep. 
The  restless  waves  resound  through  the  broken  archways  and  thunder 


THE  ETAH   ESKIMOS.  155 

against  its  adamantine  walls.  Clouds,  impenetrable  as  those  which 
shielded  the  graceful  form  of  Arethusa,  clothe  it  in  the  morning ; 
under  the  bright  blaze  of  the  noonday  sun  it  is  armored  in  glittering 
silver;  it  robes  itself  in  the  gorgeous  colors  of  evening;  and  in  the 
silent  night  the  heavenly  orbs  are  mirrored  in  its  glassy  surface. 
Drifting  snows  whirl  over  it  in  the  winter,  and  the  sea-gulls  swarm 
around  it  in  the  summer.  The  last  rays  of  departing  day  linger  upon 
its  lofty  spires;  and  when  the  long  darkness  is  past,  it  catches  the 
first  gleam  of  the  returning  light,  and  its  gilded  dome  heralds  the 
coming  morn.  The  elements  combine  to  render  tribute  to  its  match- 
less beauty.  Its  loud  voice  is  wafted  to  the  shore,  and  the  earth  rolls 
it  from  crag  to  crag  among  the  echoing  hills.  The  sun  steals  through 
the  veils  of  radiant  fountains  which  flutter  over  it  in  the  summer 
winds,  and  the  rainbow  on  its  pallid  cheek  betrays  the  warm  kiss. 
The  air  crowns  it  with  wreaths  of  soft  vapor,  and  the  waters  around  it 
take  the  hues  of  the  emerald  and  the  sapphire.  In  fulfilment  of  its 
destiny  it  moves  steadily  onward  in  its  blue  pathway,  through  the 
varying  seasons  and  under  the  changeful  skies.  Slowly,  as  in  ages  long 
gone  by,  it  arose  from  the  broad  waters,  so  does  it  sink  back  into  them. 
It  is  indeed  a  noble  symbol  of  the  law,  —  a  monument  of  Time's  slow 
changes,  more  ancient  than  the  Egyptian  pyramids  or  the  obelisk  of 
Heliopolis.  Its  crystals  were  dewdrops  and  snowflakes  long  before 
the  human  race  was  born  in  Eden. 

To  return  from  this  digression :  "  The  Summer  of  1861  was  passed 
by  Dr.  Hayes  in  the  conduct  of  explorations  and  surveys  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  Port  Foulke,  Hartstene  Bay,  spoken  of  recently  by 
Nares  as  the  best  winter  station  on  the  north  coast  of  Greenland. 
The  established  routine  of  observations  was  continued  at  the  vessel, 
and,  in  addition,  a  delicate  tidal  apparatus  was  constructed,  the  read- 
ings of  which  were  made  to  tenths  of  a  foot,  and  at  intervals  of  ten 
minutes.  Hayes  was  joined  by  a  tribe  of  Eskimos,  living  on  the  coast 
between  Smith  Strait  and  Cape  York,  and  several  members  of  the 
tribe  continued  with  him  until  late  in  the  summer.  This  singular 
people   numbered   about   eighty   souls.      They  lived    in    snow-houses 


156 


AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 


about  the  harbor,  and  maintained  themselves  by  hunting  the  walrus 
and   the   seal.     The  chief  of  this  Etah  tribe  was  again  friendly. . 


A  SNOW  VILLAGE, 


HAYES     RETURN    TO   THE    UNITED   STATES. 

The  schooner,  having  been  prepared  for  sea,  was  broken  out  of  the 
ice  on  the  10th  of  Jul}^  and  sailed  from  her  winter  harbor  on  the  14th. 
After  much  difficulty  and  two  trials,  she  reached  the  west  coast,  ten 
miles  below  Cape  Isabella.     That  cape  she  was  unable  to  pass,  but 


COLLECTIONS   IN   NATURAL   HISTORY.  157 

Hayes  succeeded  in  making  its  north  side  in  a  whale-boat,  and  from  an 
elevation  of  about  six  hundred  feet,  obtained  a  view  to  the  North- 
ward. In  that  direction  the  ice  was  everywhere  unbroken  ;  and  as  it 
did  not  appear  probable  that  he  could  obtain  for  the  schooner  a  more 
northern  harbor,  and  as  he  had  now  only  five  dogs  remaining,  without 
means  of  obtaining  a  new  supply,  he  decided  to  abandon  the  field,  and 
to  return  home,  trusting,  as  has  been  intimated,  to  be  able  at  an  early 
day  to  renew  the  attempt  with  a  small  steamer. 

Entering  Whale  Sound,  he  had  an  excellent  opportunity  for  de- 
lineating the  shore-line  of  that  remarkable  inlet.  Through  a  clear 
atmosphere  he  could  trace  the  land  around  from  the  North  to  the 
South  shore,  thus  proving  the  inlet  to  be  a  deep  gulf,  which,  out  of 
respect  to  the  enterprising  navigator  who  first  penetrated  its  waters,  he 
designated  as  the  Gulf  of  Captain  Inglefield.  For  two  prominent 
points  on  the  northern  side  of  the  gulf,  mistaken  by  Inglefield  for 
islands.  Dr.  Hayes  retained  the  names  which  he  had  used.  He  found  a 
colony  of  Eskimos  on  the  south  side  of  Whale  Sound,  and  remained 
long  enough  with  them  to  become  familiar  with  their  habits  and  to 
obtain  some  photographs. 

After  leaving  Whale  Sound  he  continued  down  the  coast,  and» 
under  favorable  circumstances,  completed  the  survey  of  the  shore, 
including  Cadogen  and  Talbot  Inlets,  as  far  south  as  Clarence  Head. 
Here  he  came  upon  a  heavy  ice-pack,  and  was  obliged  to  hold  to  the 
Eastward. 

During  this  period  of  the  cruise  every  effort  was  made  to  obtain 
collections  of  specimens  of  natural  history ;  but  in  this  department,  as 
well  as  in  many  others,  he  had  frequent  occasion  to  regret  the  sraall- 
ness  of  his  corps  of  workers.  He  succeeded  in  obtaining  some  valua- 
ble collections,  embracing  dredgings  from  the  various  points  visited, 
plants  from  several  different  localities,  skins  and  skeletons  of  the  })rin- 
cipal  mammals,  skins  of  many  of  the  Arctic  birds,  and  a  large  number 
of  skulls  of  Eskimos.  His  hunters  captured  upward  of  two  himdred 
reindeer.  Walrus  and  seal  of  different  varieties  were  found  in  abun- 
dance. During  the  summer  several  species  of  waterfowl  swarmed 
upon  the  islands  and  cliffs  about  the  mouth  of  Smith  Strait.     The 


158  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

most  numerous  of  these  were  the  little  auk  (Uria  alle)  and  the  Eider 
duck  (Somateria  Molissima),  several  hundreds  of  which  were  captured. 
From  these  sources  he  had  no  difficulty  in  constantly  supplying  his 
party  with  fresh  food,  and  to  this  he  attributed  in  a  great  measure 
their  entire  exemption  from  disease. 

Continuing  his  voyage  southward,  he  completed  the  survey  of  the 
Eastern  Coast  of  North  Baffin  Bay,  from  Cape  Alexander  to  Granville 
Bay ;  a  survey  made  independently  of  the  charts  of  his  predecessors. 
The  shore-line  surveyed  on  the  eastern  side,  a  portion  of  which  is 
new  discovery,  equalled  about  six  hundred  miles,  and  on  the  western 
side,  between  Clarence  Head  on  the  south  and  Cape  Union  on  the 
north,  about  thirteen  hundred  miles. 

It  was  with  regret  that  he  turned  his  back  upon  the  scene  of  his 
year's  labors  and  entered  Melville  Bay,  and  after  boring  through 
the  "pack"  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  entered  the  Southern 
Water,  and  reached  Upernavik  on  the  14th  of  August,  and  Disco 
Island  September  1.  The  voyage  from  Godhavn  southward  was  very 
stormy.  Off  Halifax  the  ship  received  such  injury  as  required  her  to 
put  into  port  for  repairs.  Leaving  this  harbor  October  19,  Dr.  Hayes 
arrived  in  Boston  on  the  23d,  after  an  absence  of  fifteen  months  and 
thirteen  days. 

A  just  appreciation  of  his  labors  has  been  shown,  not  only  by  the 
flattering  reception  accorded  on  his  return  by  the  friends  of  Explora- 
tion and  the  Societies  which  had  encouraged  his  enterprise,  but 
abroad  b}^  the  awards  of  the  gold  medal  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Lon- 
don, and  of  the  Soci^t^  de  Geographic  of  Paris;  the  first  of  these 
being  received  for  him  May  27,  1867,  by  Hon.  C.  F.  Adams,  United 
States  Minister  to  St.  James,  and  the  second  by  General  John  A.  Dix, 
United  States  Minister  to  Paris,  in  1869.  The  citations  from  his 
Narrative  and  Chart  made  in  the  Reports  of  Captain  Nares  are  accom- 
panied by  the  expression  "  of  undoubted  authority." 

To  his  two  Arctic  volumes,  "The  Arctic  Boat  Journey"  of  1854, 
and  "  The  Open  Polar  Sea  "  of  1860,  he  added  a  narrative  of  a  third 
visit  to  Greenland  in  1869,  made  in  the  Steam  Yacht  "Panther,"  the 
property  of  the  Artist,  Mr.  William  Bradford.     This  volume  bears  the 


Prom  the  "  Open  PoUr  Se«,"  republished  by  J.  R.  Otcooi  &  Co..  1883. 


160  AMERICA:^   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

title  of  "  The  Land  of  Desolation,"  a  name  re-applied  from  the  chroni- 
cles of  old  John  Davis.  On  the  visit,  devoted  chiefly  to  the  study  of 
the  picturesque  rather  than  the  scientific,  Hayes  had  the  renewed 
pleasure  of  observing  the  formation  of  the  Greenland  glaciers  and 
icebergs,  as  well  as  of  visiting  the  sites  of  the  colonies  of  the  old 
Northmen  there.  The  range  of  the  coast  along  which  the  "  Panther  " 
sailed  was  more  than  a  thousand  miles,  terminating  a  good  w^ay  beyond 
the  last  outpost  of  civilization  on  the  globe,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
much-dreaded  ice-pack  of  Melville  Bay. 

As  an  Honorary  Member  of  several  Scientific  Societies  of  Europe 
and  America,  with  an  observing  eye  upon  each  of  the  later  Arctic 
Expeditions,  he  contributed  to  the  press  numerous  articles  on  his 
favorite  theme,  even  amidst  the  busy  occupations  of  his  political  life 
while  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  main- 
taining a  deep  interest  in  Arctic  discovery  until  his  death  in  1871. 

Note.  —  The  Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute  for 
the  year  1861  contains  a  Lecture  delivered  by  Dr.  Hayes  in  the  hall  of  the  Institution,  on 
his  Expedition  of  1860.  This  Report  contains  also  Professor  Henry's  valuable  Summary 
of  Dr.  Kane's  Explorations.  In  his  Report  to  the  Regents  for  the  year  1865,  Professor 
Henry  devotes  a  large  space  to  a  review  of  Dr.  Hayes'  scientific  work  in  the  North,  refer- 
ring in  his  review  to  the  agreement  of  the  results  with  those  of  Dr.  Kane  as  due  to  the 
fact  that  in  both  Expeditions  the  larger  part  of  the  Observations  were  made  by  the 
lamented  Sonntag. 


Iluri'iiii.  Kiiuniviiiu  N'  I'liiiliiiU 


CHAPTER  VI.* 

THE  GRINNELL  AND   HAVEN  EXPEDITION  OF  C.  F.  HALL.  — THE  FIRST 
OF  Ills  THREE   VOYAGES,  1860-62. 

hall's  MOTIVES  FOR  HIS  FIRST  VOYAGE.  —  ARCTIC  STUDY.  —  LIMITED 
RESOURCES.  —  REASONS  FOR  BELIEVING  THAT  SOME  OF  FRANKLIN's 
MEN  STILL  LIVED.  —  CIRCULAR  ENDORSED  BY  LEADING  MEN  OF  OHIO. 

—  GENEROUS  AID   BY  MR.  GRINNELL  AND  BY  WILLIAMS  AND   HAVEN. 

—  SAILS  FROM  NEW  LONDON.  —  BURIES  HIS  NATIVE  COMPANION, 
KUD-LA-GO.  —  VISITS  HOLSTEINBORG.  —  THE  KYAKS.  —  THE  BELTED 
AND  THE  GOTHIC  ICEBERGS.  —  ARRIVES  AT  CORNELIUS  GRINNELL 
BAY.  —  FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OF  THE  NATIVES.  —  DESTRUCTION  OF 
THE  "RESCUE,"  AND  THE  EXPEDITION  BOAT.  —  FIRST  ACQUAINTANCE 
WITH  EBIERBING  AND  TOO-KOO-LI-TOO.  —  INLAND  EXCURSION.  —  EX- 
PLORATIONS IN  THE  SPRING  FOLLOWING.  —  DISCOVERY  THAT  FRO- 
BISHER  "  STRAIT  "'  IS  A  BAY.  —  FINDING  OF  THE  FROBISHER  RELICS 
CONFIRMED  BY  BARROW's  HISTORY.  —  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  SPRING 
AND  SUMISIER  OF  1862.  —  NOTES  OF  ESKIMO  DRESS,  HABITS,  AND  SU- 
PERSTITIONS.—  RETURN  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES  WITH  THE  TWO 
NATIVES  AND  THEIR  CHILD. 

WITHIN  a  few  weeks  of  the  sailing  of  Dr.  Hayes  from  Boston, 
an  Arctic  voyager,  without  companions  for  his  exploration, 
left  the  port  of  New  London,  Connecticut.  The  prevailing 
sympathy  for  the  fate  of  Franklin  had  kindled  in  Mr.  C.  F.  Hall,  of 
Cincinnati,  an  entliusiasni  for  the  search  and  for  Arctic  Exploration 
which  failed  him  only  with  his  life.  Through  the  nine  years  from  the 
issue  of  the  instructions  to  Lieutenant  DeHaven  to  the  return  of  the 
British  Yacht  "Fox,"  under  McClintock,  he  had  steadily  devoted  every 
spare  hour  to  the  study  of  what  might  be  done  for  the  rescue.  His 
means  were  very  limited;  he  was  earning  a  bare  livelihood  by  the 
daily  labor  of  an   engraver ;   but  he  found   friends  who   assisted   in 

*  The  preparation  of  this  chapter  lias  been  made  from  a  review  of  Hall's  first  voyage, 
chiefly  as  narrated  by  himself  in  his  "Arctic  Researches,"  published  by  Messrs.  Harper, 
N.  Y.,  1865.     Acknowledgments  are  due  Messrs.  Harper  for  the  use  of  the  Woodcuts. 

The  history  of  the  Second  and  of  the  Third  Expedition  in  the  next  chapter,  includ- 
ing some  statements  here  found,  has  been  derived  from  the  Official  Papers  and  Correspond- 

161 


162  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

securing  intelligence  of  what  was  done  by  the  different  Expeditions 
already  named  [Chap.  I.]  ;  and  by  the  kindness  chiefly  of  Colonel 
Lupton,  President  of  tlie  Mercantile  Library,  he  was  supplied  with  the 
fullest  Arctic  literature. 

In  1854  the  British  Government  had  felt  itself  no  longer  justified  in 
sending  out  expeditions  in  search  of  the  "Erebus"  and  "Terror,"  but 
Hall's  interest  does  not  seem  to  have  in  any  degree  languished.  The 
British  Relief  Ship  "Resolute"  had  been  abandoned  in  the  ice,  picked 
up  at  sea  by  Captain  James  Budington,  of  New  London,  Connecticut, 
and  presented  to  England  by  the  United  States  Congress.  Hearing 
that  she  had  been  dismantled  and  laid  up  as  a  hulk  in  the  Medway, 
Hall  secured  the  signatures  of  Governor  Chase  and  other  leading  men 
of  Ohio  to  a  petition  to  that  Government  for  a  loan  of  the  ship,  in 
which  he  might  go  out  to  join  McClintock  in  his  expedition  of  1857-59. 
The  return  of  the  "Fox"  anticipated  action  on  this,  but  he  still  urged 
that  the  explorations  made  by  that  ship,  though  eminently  successful, 
had  left  much  of  value  to  be  secured ;  that  they  had  been  made,  by 
necessity,  in  the  month  of  May,  when  the  land  was  still  covered  Avith 
snow ;  and  that  interviews  with  the  Eskimos  had  been  found  practi- 
cable with  detached  parties  only,  and  through  an  interpreter  who, 
McClintock  had  said,  "did  not  well  understand  them."  His  patriotic 
sentiments  were  stimulated  by  the  results  of  the  First  Grinnell  Expe- 
dition; and  since  England  had  left  the  field,  "the  Stars  and  Stri^^es," 
he  thought,  "should  enter  it." 

Nothing  seems  to  prove  more  fully  the  sincerity  and  depth  of  con- 
victions —  at  times  insecurely  based  —  than  this  expectation  of  finding 
officers  or  men  of  Franklin's  party  still  alive.  The  paper  found  at 
Point  Victory  in  1859*  showed  that  Captain  Crozier  had  left  the  ships 

ence  of  Hall,  which  were  before  the  author  when  preparing  for  the  Senate  the  "Narrative 
of  the  Second  Arctic  Expedition,"  and  when  assisting  the  late  Admiral  Davis  in  the  prep- 
aration, for  the  Navy  Department,  of  "The  North  Polar  Expedition  of  1871-73,"  —  the 
voyage  of  the  "  Polaris."  No  copy  of  either  of  these  two  volumes  is  now  available  for 
distribution  by  Congress,  the  Navy  Department,  or  the  Naval  Observatory. 

*  Lieutenant  Hobson,  of  McClintock's  party,  had  found  on  King  William's  Land,  in 
a  tin  cylinder,  within  a  cairn  or  stone  pile,  a  paper  on  which  was  written:  — 

"28th  May,  1847.  II.  M.  Ships  'Erebus'  and  'Terror'  wintered  in  the  ice  in  lat.  70^* 
a^'  N.,  long.  98"^  23'  W.     Having  wintered  in  1846-7  at  Beechey  Island,  in  lat.  74"^  4:^  28" 


THE   ONLY   RECORD  EVER   TO  BE  FOUND.  163 

on  their  abandonment,  with  a  weakened  party  and  with  the  remnant  of 
perhaps  originally  ill-supplied  provisions,  to  find  his  way  toward  the 
desolate  regions  6i  Back's  or  Great  Fish  river.  The  presumption  in 
the  minds  of  most  men  was  entirely  against  the  probability  of  extended 
life  in  a  single  one  of  the  survivors  named  in  that  Record. 

But  all  difficulties  in  the  case  were  overcome  or  lost  sight  of  in 
Hall's  reasonings,  and  in  his  impulse  to  bear  relief.  From  inquiries  of 
the  whalers  who  visited  Cumberland  Sound,  Repulse  Bay,  and  other 
northern  localities,  he  learned  that  the  experience  of  some  who  had 
lived  for  months  as  Eskimos  with  the  Eskimos  had  not  been  severe ; 
and  from  one  of  Dr.  Kane's  party,  Mr.  William  Hickey,  he  received 
assurance  that  when  he  and  others  of  that  party  had  so  lived,  they 
recovered  from  all  sicknesses  and  maintained  their  health.  Hall  con- 
cluded that  some  of  Franklin's  survivors  might  be  still  enjopng  a  lease 
of  life  among  that  not  inhospitable  people,  and  he  hoped  that  by  his 
going  out  and  living  patiently  among  them,  he  could  draw  out,  through 
faithful  interpreters,  the  final  clue  to  the  fate  of  the  ships,  the  men, 
and  the  records  of  the  Expedition.     Other  reasonings  leading  him  to 

N.,  long.  91°  30'  15"  W.,  after  having  ascended  Wellington  Channel  in  lat.  11'^,  and 
returned  by  the  west  side  of  Comwallis  Island. 

"Sir  John  Franklin  commanding  the  Expedition.  • 

"All  well. 

"  Party  consisting  of  two  officers  and  six  men  left  the  Ship  on  Monday,  24th  May,  1847. 

"G.  M.  GoKE,  Lieut. 
"Chas.  F.  Des  Vceux,  Mate." 
Around  the  margin  of  this  paper,  upon  which,  in  1847,  those  words  of  hope  and  i)rom- 
ise  were  written,  the  following  words  had  subsequently  been  faintly  traced:  — 

"April  25,  1848.  ILM.  Ships  'Erebus'  and  'Terror'  were  deserted  on  the  22d  April, 
5  leagues  N.X.W.  of  this,  having  been  beset  since  12th  Septr.,  1846.  The  officers  aTid 
crews,  consisting  of  145  souls,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  F.  R.  M.  Crozier,  landed  here 
in  lat.  69''  37'  42"  N.,  long.  98"  41'  W.  Sir  .John  Franklin  died  on  the  llth  June,  1847; 
and  the  total  loss  by  deaths  in  the  Expedition  has  been  to  this  date  0  officei-s  and  15  men. 

(Signed)  James  Fitzjames, 

"F.  R.  M.  Crozier,"  CapUin  H.M.S.  'Erebus.' 

"  Captain  and  Senior  Officer. 
*'  and  start  on  to-morrow,"  26th  for      • 
"  Back's  Fisli  River." 
Li  Admiral  McClintock's  "Voyage  of  the  Fox,"  the  date  of  the  year  of  Franklin's 
wintering  at  Beechey  Island  is  corrected  from  1846-7  to  1845-6, —  a  correction  which,  as  he 
states,  is  proved  by  a  glance  at  the  top  and  the  bottom  of  Fitzjames'  Paper. 


164  AMEllICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

believe  that  some  of  the  party  still  survived,  were  that  no  Arctic 
Explorer  had  ever  understood  better  the  necessities  of  a  good  supply 
of  fresh  provisions  for  his  men  than  did  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  that 
he  had  made  provision  for  such  necessities.  In  proof  of  this  Hall  had 
found  in  the  official  papers  that  a  full  complement  of  fresh  provisions, 
preserved  meats,  soups,  vegetables,  and  ten  live  oxen  were  on  board 
the  "  Erebus "  and  "•  Terror ; "  and  further,  that  Franklin  had  told 
Captain  Martin,  of  the  whaler  "Enterprise,"  when  off  the  coast  of 
Greenland,  that  he  had  provisions  for  five  years,  and,  if  necessary,  could 
make  them  spin  out  to  seven ;  he  would  lose  no  opportunity  of  killing 
game,  and  had  already  secured  a  large  quantity.  There  was  every 
reason  to  believe,  too,  that  animal  life  was  found  in  abundance  by  his 
men  on  the  shores  of  Wellington  Channel,  especially  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Baillie  Hamilton  Island,  and  that  Franklin  must  have  sent 
hunting  parties  to  great  distances  with  sledges ;  for  the  tracks  of  these 
sledges  were  seen  six  years  after  by  Kane,  DeHaven,  Ommaney,  and 
Osborne.  Hall  could  say  with  truth  that  his  expectations  of  rendering 
relief  were  based  on  years  of  careful  study  and  examination  of  what 
had  been  written  on  the  subject ;  and  his  appeal  was  plain  and  strong : 
"Why  should  not  attempts  be  renewed  again  and  again  until  all  the 
facts  are  known  ?  " 

On  the  8th  of  February,  1860,  he  issued  a  circular,  in  the  nature  of 
an  appeal  to  his  fellow-citizens  for  aid  in  his  proposed  undertaking, 
which  read  as  follows  :  — 

"  This  is  to  memorialize  all  lovers  of  man,  and  of 
geography,  history,  and  science,  to  co-operate  by  all 
methods  and  means  in  their  power  to  facilitate  and 
assist  our  fellow-countryman,  Charles  F.  Hall,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  in  the  formation  of  and  fitting  out  an 
American  Expedition,  in  search  of  survivors  of  Sir 
John  Franklin's  Exploring  party,  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  persons,  "only  twenty-seven  of  whom  are  known 
to  be  dead;  secondly,  for  satisfactorily  settling  and  completing  the 
history  of  the  last  Franklin  Expedition;  and  thirdly,  to  promote  and 
benefit  the  cause  of  geography,  navigation,  natural  history  and  science. 


hall's  plans.  165 

"Such  an  expedition,  with  proper  vessels,  with  a  competent  and 
experienced  commander,  officers,  and  crew,  with  a  complete  outfit  and 
provisions  for  from  two  to  three  years'  cruise,  to  embark  from  an  east- 
ern port  of  the  United  States,  and  proceed  via  Davis'  Strait,  Baffin's 
Bay,  Lancaster  Sound,  and  Barrow's  Strait ;  thence  from  the  north 
coast  of  Boothia  to  commence  the  search,  extending  it  to  King  Wil- 
liam's Land  and  the  adjacent  regions,  until  a  thorough  and  satisfactory 
investigation  shall  have  been  made  of  all  that  portion  of  the  Arctic 
world,  and  the  humanitarian  object  attained  for  discovering  some  sur- 
vivor of  the  lost  companions  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  or  of  ascertaining 
the  ultimate  fate  of  the  members  of  that  expedition,  who,  up  to  this 
day,  remain  unaccounted  for,  being  no  less  than  one  hundred  and 
eleven  souls,  whose  history  the  loud  voice  of  mankind  from  all  gen- 
erous natures  demands  shall  not  remain  forever  slirouded  in  oblivion 
while  energetic  intelligence  and  American  enterprise  can  hope  to 
rescue  a  single  survivor,  or  furnish  the  solution  of  their  ultimate 
history."  This  appeal  was  endorsed  by  a  number  of  the  public  men  of 
the  State,  among  whom  were  its  Governor,  W.  Dennison,  Hon.  S.  P. 
Chase,  and  the  Mayor  of  Cincinnati,  Hon.  R.  M.  Bishop. 

Proceeding  to  the  Eastern  States,  Mr.  Hall  visited  Dr.  Hayes  and 
the  relatives  and  friends  of  Dr.  Kane  in  Philadelphia,  and  thence 
returning  to  New  York,  met  with  much  personal  encouragement  from 
Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  and  in  New  England  from  Messrs.  Williams  and 
Haven,  of  New  London.  At  a  meeting  of  the  American  Geographical 
Society  of  New  York  he  explained  his  plans,  whicli  were  in  substance 
that  he  would  first  in  the  North  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  language 
and  life  of  the  Eskimos,  and  then  visit  the  lands  of  King  William, 
Boothia,  and  Victoria.  He  would  take  with  him  a  native  interpreter, 
and,  during  his  sojourn  in  the  North,  employ  a  crew  of  nati^es  to 
accompany  him.  He  would  first,  on  reaching  Northumberland  Inlet, 
proceed  up  one  of  its  arrhs  which  runs  westward,  and,  crossing  by  a 
portage,  traverse  this  lake  to  its  outlet,  which  is  reported  by  the  Eski- 
mos as  being  a  navigable  river  emptying  into  Fox  Channel.  Arriving 
at  "  Fox's  Furthest  "  (Lat.  66°  50'  N.,  Long.  77°  05'  W.),  he  would  pro- 
ceed on  the  east  side  of  the  channel  to  the  Strait  of  the  "Furv  *  and 


16G  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

"  Hecla  "  of  Parry,  thus  connecting  Parry's  discoveries  of  1821  with 
those  of  Fox,  made  in  1631.  Succeeding  in  this,  he  would  hope  to 
winter  among  the  friendly  natives  of  Igloolik,  and  proceed  either  south- 
ward to  the  east  coast  of  Melville  Peninsula,  or  push  his  way  across 
the  Gulf  of  Boothia  to  Victoria  Harbor. 

During  the  winter  and  spring,  sledge  journeys  would  be  made  to 
ascertain  the  chief  object  of  his  voyage,  and  to  acquire  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  country.  It  was  evidently  in  his  mind  that  prepara- 
tory work  of  a  serious  character  would  be  necessary  before  much  could 
be  hoped  for  in  the  matter  of  ascertaining  even  this,  and  as  certainly 
in  the  way  of  securing  any  further  additions  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
Eskimos  and  their  land. 

Mr.  Grinnell,  who,  at  the  date  of  this  enterprise,  and  even  much 
later,  retained  the  latent  hope  of  there  being  yet  a  possibility  of 
finding  among  the  natives  some  of  Franklin's  men,  sent  Hall  a  strong- 
letter  of  encouragement.  He  wrote  that  probably  no  one  was  more 
desirous  than  himself  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  the  Franklin  Expedi- 
tion, and  he  believed  that  some  of  the  one  hundred  and  five  men  who 
were  alive  on  the  2oth  day  of  April,  1848,  might  still  be  found  among 
the  inhabitants  of  Boothia,  Victoria,  or  Prince  Albert  Lands.  He 
advised  a  visit  to  the  grave  of  Franklin  and  to  those  of  some  of  his 
officers,  which,  if  searched  for  in  the  months  of  July,  August,  and 
September,  might  be  discovered,  and  would  reveal  some  records  of  the 
expedition;  adding,  "the  course  you  propose  to  pursue  is  entirely  a 
new  and  important  one,  and  I  see  not  why,  with  the  exercise  of  your 
best  judgment,  you  may  not  ultimately  accomplish  all  that  could 
be  desired  in  satisfactorily  determining  many  of  the  unsettled  ques- 
tions indicated  above,  as  well  as  increasing  our  geogra])hical  knowl- 
edge of  that  portion  of  the  Arctic  regions  over  which  you  propose  to 
pass. 

*■'  You  have  my  earnest  Avishes  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  noble 
object  you  have  in  view,  and  I  will  cheerfully  contribute  towards  the 
requisite  funds  to  carry  it  out." 

The  firm  of  Williams  and  Haven,  of  New  London,  made  the  fol- 
lowing generous  proposal : 


DEATH   OF   KUD-LA-GO.  167 

"As  a  testimony  of  our  personal  regard,  and  the  interest  we  feel  in 
the  proposed  expedition,  we  will  convey  it  and  its  required  outfit, 
boats,  sledges,  provisions,  instruments,  etc.,  free  of  charge^  in  the 
barque  "  George  Henry,"  to  Northumberland  Inlet,  and,  whenever 
desired,  we  will  give  the  same  free  passage  home  in  any  of  our  ships." 

May  29,  1860,  after  spending  some  weeks  of  preparation  in  New 
York  and  New  London,  Hall  left  the  latter  city,  bearing  with  him  the 
last  cordial  farewells  of  Mr.  Grinnell,  Mr.  Haven,  and  Mayor  Harris. 
The  "'George  Henry  "  was  accompanied  by  the  "^Amoret"  schooner,  for- 
merly known  as  the  "Rescue"  of  Arctic  celebrity,  the  officers  and  crews 
of  the  two  vessels  numbering  in  all  twenty-nine  persons.  Hall's  only 
companion  was  the  Eskimo,  Kud-la-go,  whom  Captain  Budington,  of 
the  "  George  Henry,"  had  brought  to  the  United  States  on  his  voyage 
of  the  preceding  autumn.  The  outfit  which  the  explorer  could  call  his 
own  consisted  of  a  boat  built  for  him  by  Rogers,  the  builder  for  De- 
Haven,  Kane,  and  Hartstene ;  one  sledge ;  some  twelve  hundred 
pounds  of  pemmican  and  meat  biscuit ;  a  small  supply  of  ammunition, 
and  a  few  nautical  instruments  and  thermometers.  The  dimensions  of 
the  boat  were :  length,  twenty-eight  feet ;  beam,  seven  feet ;  depth, 
twenty-nine  and  one-half  inches ;  the  thickness  of  her  cedar  planking, 
seven-eighths  of  an  inch.  Loaded  with  stores  and  a  crew  of  six  per- 
sons, she  drew  but  eight  inches  of  water,  had  one  mast  for  a  jib  and 
main  sail,  a  heavy  awning  for  shelter,  and  lockers  at  each  end  large 
enough  for  a  comfortable  sleep  by  one  person.  With  an  outfit  no 
larger  than  this.  Hall  could  hardly  avoid  saying  on  his  return  that,  had 
he  failed  in  the  great  undertaking  his  mind  had  led  him  to  embark  in, 
it  might  have  been  excusable  under  the  circumstances. 

Progress  toward  Greenland,  owing  to  calms  and  head  winds,  was 
so  tantalizingly  slow,  that  a  fourth  week-  passed  while  the  ship  was 
yet  a  considerable  distance  from  Holsteinborg.  She  did  not  anchor 
there  until  July  7,  the  fortieth  day  of  a  passage  usually  made  in  thirty. 
The  "  Rescue  "  was  another  week  behind.  On  the  voyage  Hall  had 
the  usual  first  experience  of  a  landsman  —  sea-sickness;  recovering 
from  which  his  journal  entries  were  those  of  enjoyment  of  the  phe- 
nomena of  the  lengthened  day,  the  aurora,  and  the  icebergs.     He  met 


168  AMERICAN    EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

his  first  and  serious  loss  in  the  death  of  Kud-la-go  before  entering  the 
harbor.  Apparently  in  good  health  when  leaving  New  London,  the 
native  had  contracted  a  severe  disease  whilst  passing  through  the  fogs 
on  the  Newfoundland  banks,  and  rapidly  failed  in  health.  His  last 
words  were,  '■'■  Teik-ko-seko  ?  Teik-ko-sekof''  (Do  you  see  ice?  Do  you 
see  ice  ?)  This  he  incessantly  asked,  thinking  he  might  be  near  his 
home.  He  died  about  three  hundred  miles  from  it,  and  was  buried  in 
the  sea  in  latitude  63°  N.  Having  shown  considerable  intelligence 
while  in  New  York,  Hall  had  hoped  that  he  would  render  him  much 
service  throughout  his  journeys. 

From  Governor  Elborg,  of  Holsteinborg,  some  items  of  interest  were 
learned.  The  total  number  of  buildings  was  twenty-nine ;  the  popula- 
tion in  the  Holsteinborg  district  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven,  only 
ten  of  whom  were  Europeans.  In  the  preceding  year  the  following 
amount  of  animal  products  had  been  secured,  chiefly  for  exchange 
with  the  mother-country,  Denmark :  Of  reindeer,  three  hundred ; 
of  seal  blubber,  five  thousand  pounds ;  blue  fox-skins  and  white,  two 
hundred  and  fifty;  eider  down,  five  hundred  pounds;  and  unsalted 
codfish,  four  thousand  pounds.  The  Holsteinborg  district  was  one  of 
the  five  Danish  divisions  of  Southern  Greenland,  the  total  population 
of  the  five  being  six  hundred  and  sixty-three  souls. 

The  harbor  of  Holsteinborg,  called  by  the  English  ships,  "Wylie 
Fiord,"  is  an  important  place  for  whalers,  being  well  land-locked, 
though  small.  The  rise  and  fall  at  spring  tides  of  about  ten  feet 
affords  every  facility  for  repairing  the  damage  caused  by  the  ice  to 
ships.  Landing  is  not  possible  at  all  times  of  tide,  for  "  at  high-water 
mark  a  broad  fringe  of  ice  margins  the  shore,  to  which  it  is  firmly 
frozen,  and  is  convenient  to  step  on  to  from  a  boat ;  but  at  low  water 
this  'ice-foot'  is  several  feet  above  one's  head,  and  the  rocks  now 
exposed  are  worn  smooth  and  slippery  by  the  constant  attrition  of  ice." 
McClintock,  from  whom  this  note  of  the  landing  is  cited,  had  moored 
the  "  Fox,"  two  years  before,  by  hawsers  to  the  rocks  on  each  side  of  tlie 
yacht ;  yet  his  anchor  lay  in  seventeen  fathoms.  He  found  the  moun- 
tainous, rocky  scenery  around  magnificent,  but  remarks  that  a  little 
more  animal  life  would  have  made  it  more  pleasing.     Very  few  rein- 


SUPPER  WITH  GOVEKNOU  ELBORG. 


169 


GOVERNOR  ELBORG  IN  HIS  OOMIAK. 

From  McClintock'i  "  Voyage  of  the  Fox." 


deer  could  be  seen  at  the  time  of  his  visit,  and  the  five  hundred  skins 
only  of  the  year  previous  were  in  strong  contrast  with  the  three  thou- 
sand of  ordi- 
nary seasons. 
The  little  wood- 
en houses  of  the 
Danish  Gov- 
ernor and  resi- 
dents  were 
found  to  be 
scrupulously 
neat  and  clean. 
"  The  men  and 
lads,"  says  Mc- 
Clintock,  "em- 
ploy themselves 

in  hunting  and  fishing;  they  are  too  dignified  and  lazy  to  labor  in 
rowing,  so  it  is  among  the  disposable  young  women  one  must  look 
for  a  boat's  crew." 

In  an  upper  room  of  the  Governor's  house  overlooking  Davis*  Straits 
and  the  islands  of  the  harbor,  Hall  found  the  apothecar3's  shop,  the 
contents  of  which  the  Governor  himself  dispenses  when  required :  also 
a  quantity  of  eider-down,  like  that  from  which  DeHaven  and  Kane 
had  received  supplies  for  their  beds.  At  supper  he  was  served  to  duck, 
salmon,  trout,  eider  ducks'  eggs,  white  flour  bread,  with  butter  and 
American  cheese,  Yankee-brewed  rye  liquors,  and  good  tea.  He  was 
presented  with  a  valuable  collection  of  Greenland  rock  specimens,  and 
of  fossil  fish — capelin  —  (^Mallotus  Villocus^,  called  by  the  Greenlanders 
Angmarset;  by  the  Danes,  Sild;  and  by  the  English,  Capelin.  The 
fish  is  about  six  inches  long,  of  a  bluish  brown  color  on  the  back,  and 
silver  white  on  the  belly.  The  fossils  were  found  about  one  liundred 
miles  up  a  fiord,  McClintock  speaks  of  those  he  had  obtained  as 
being  of  unknown  geological  date.  The  earthquake  shocks  of  whicli 
he  speaks  as  having  been  felt  near  this  harbor.  Hall  thought  were  in 
reality  only  the  results  of  the  freezing  in   the  rock  crevices  of  the 


ESKIMO  WOMAN  AND  CHILD. 
Fac-siniile  of  a  Woodcut  drawn  and  engraved  by  the  Greenlander  "Aaron.' 

170 


THE  GREENLAND   KAYAKER. 


171 


mountains.  He  noticed  several  large  rocks,  thousands  of  tons  in 
weight,  that  had  evidently  fallen  from  the  tops  of  two  lofty  mountains. 
The  detached  portions  corresponded  in  shape  to  the  parts  vacated. 
"The  tremendous  workings  of  nature  in  these  mountains  of  Green- 
land during  the  Arctic  winter  often  result,"  he  says,  "in  what  many 
of  tlie  inhabitants  think  to  be  earthquakes." 

Before  leaving  the  harbor.  Hall  purchased  six  dogs,  selecting  them 
at  the  advice  of  the  Governor,  and  paying  for  them  ten  Danish,  or  live 
American  dollars ;  for  their  food  he  paid  twenty-five  cents  for  two 
bushels  of  small  dried  fish — Capelins.  Kayaks  in  large  numbers 
danced  around 
the  boats  of 
the  American 
barque.  The 
speed  and  the 
skill  of  the  Es- 
kimos in  these 
were  matter  of 
surprise,  the 
Kayaker  show- 
ing himself 
"  able  to  out- 
strip  every- 
thing  possible 

in  the  rowing  of  boats,  outside  of  the  Arctic  regions."  Two  rare 
sights  were  witnessed.  One  of  the  Eskimos  turned  somersets  in  the 
water  seated  in  his  Kayak.  "  Over  and  over  he  and  his  Kayak  went 
till  he  heard  the  cry,  'Enough,'  and  jet  he  wet  only  his  hands  and 
face  !  *'  The  feat  is  performed  only  by  a  few ;  requiring  great  skill  and 
strength  to  do  it.  One  miss  in  the  stroke  of  the  oar  as  they  pass  from 
tlie  centre  (when  their  head  and  body  are  under  water)  to  the  surface, 
might  terminate  fatally.  No  one  will  attempt  this  feat,  however,  un- 
less a  companion  in  his  Kayak  is  near.  The  wetting  of  the  hands  and 
face  ohly  is  the  result  of  the  close  fitting  of  the  sealskin  dress,  which 
extends  from  above  the   shoulders  to  the    round   hole  in  which  the 


KAYAK  SOMERSET. 
From  Hall'ij  "Arctic  Kesearches."    Harper  Brother 


172 


AlVIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IK   TELE   ICE   ZONES. 


Kayaker  sits,  so  that  no  water  can  enter.  The  first  sight  of  this  had 
caused  the  expression  of  McClintock,  "  it  is  wonderful  to  see  how 
closely  a  man  can  assimilate  himself  to  a  fish." 

The  other  feat  witnessed  was  that  of  a  native  running  his  Kayak, 
while  seated  in  it,  over  another.  Getting  some  distance  off,  he  strikes 
briskly  and  pushes  forward,  and  in  an  instant  is  over,  having  struck 
the  upturned  peak  of  his  own  Kayak,  nearly  amidships,  and  at  right 
angles  of  the  other.  The  spectators  rewarded  these  feats  with  a  few 
plugs  of  tobacco.  The  ships'  companies  enjoyed  a  cordial  welcome  in 
the  harbor  during  the  seventeen  days  of  their  stay ;  on  the  27th  they 
were  in  a  heavy  snow-storm  at  sea  with  many  icebergs  in  sight. 

Two  of  these  came  before  Hall's  fancy  as  belted  and  Gothic  towers. 
The  first  of  these  seemed  like  the  ruins  of  a  lofty  dome  about  to  fall,  a 

portion  of  its  arched  roof  already 
tumbling  down.  "  Then  in  a  short 
time,  this  was  changed  to  a  picture 
4^  of  an  elephant  with  two  large  cir- 
cular towers  on  his  back,  and  Coi- 
inthian  spires  springing  out  boldly 
from  the  broken  mountains  of  ala- 
baster on  which  he  had  placed  his 
feet.  The  third  view,  when  at  a 
greater  distance,  made  it  like  a 
lighthouse  on  the  top  of  the  piled- 
up  rocks,  white  as  the  driven  snow. 
It  took  no  great  stretch  of  fancy 
to  finish  the  similitude  when  the  sun,  for  nearly  the  first  time  during 
a  week,  burst  forth  in  all  its  splendor,  bathing  with  its  flood  of  fire 
this  towering  iceberg  lighthouse  !  " 

Of  the  other  iceberg,  the  side  facing  Hall  had  a  row  of  complete 
arches  of  the  true  Gothic  order ;  and  "  running  its  whole  length,  were 
mouldings,  smooth  projections  of  solid  ice,  rivalling  in  the  beauty  of  all 
their  parts  anything  I  ever  saw.  The  architecture,  frieze,  and  cornice 
of  each  column  supporting  the  arches  above  were  as  chaste  and  accu- 
rately represented  as  the  most  imaginative  genius  could  conceive.  Here 


GOTHIC  ICEBERG. 
From  Hall's  "Arctic  Researches."    Harper  Brothers. 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS   OF  THE   INNUITS.  173 

and  there  a  matchless  perfection  displayed  itself,  in  the  curvature  of 
lines,  and,  springing  out  from  a  rude  recess,  at  a  vast  height,  appeared 
a  delicate  scroll  quite  in  keeping  with  Hogarth's  line  of  beauty." 

July  30,  the  "George  Henry"  was  within  three  miles  of  "Sander- 
son's Tower,"  on  the  west  side  of  the  entrance  to  Northumberland 
Inlet;  August  8,  the  barque  reached  her  anchorage  at  Ookoolear,  the 
Eskimo  name  for  what  has  been  since  known  as  Cornelius  Grinnell 
Bay. 

Before  entering  the  bay,  a  runaway  boat's  crew  from  the  whaler 
"Ansell  Gibbs,"  of  New  Bedford,  was  hailed  on  their  southward  course 
home.  They  stated,  that  on  account  of  bad  treatment,  they  had  de- 
serted from  the  ship,  at  Kingaite  in  Northumberland  Sound,  and  had 
run  the  distance  from  that  place  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  in  less 
than  three  days.  Captain  Budington  relieved  their  extreme  hunger, 
and  in  pity  for  the  necessities  of  the  deserters  furnished  some  supplies 
for  their  perilous  voyage,  which,  according  to  information  received  two 
years  afterwards,  they  succeeded  in  effecting  to  the  Labrador  coast. 

The  first  impression  made  by  the  natives  around  the  bay  was  of  a 
favorable  character,  especially  in  reference  to  their  good  nature.  In 
noting  his  impressions.  Hall  quotes  from  the  reviewer  of  an  Arctic 
book  a  reference  to  the  Eskimo  race,  as  being  "singular  composite 
beings,"  —  a  link  between  Saxons  and  seals,  —  hybrids  putting  the 
seals'  bodies  into  their  own,  and  then  encasing  their  skins  in  the 
seals,  thus  walking  to  and  fro,  a  compound  formation.  A  transverse 
section  would  discover  them  to  be  stratified  like  a  roly-poly  pudding, 
only  instead  of  jam  and  paste,  if  their  layers  were  noted  on  a  perpen- 
dicular scale,  they  would  range  after  this  fashion :  first  of  all,  seal, 
—  then  biped-seal  in  the  centre  with  biped  —  then  seal  again  at  the 
bottom.  Yet,  singularly  enough  these  savages  are  cheerful,  and  really 
seem  to  have  great  capacity  for  enjoyment.  Though  in  the  coldest  and 
most  uncomfortable  dens  of  the  earth,  they  are  ever  on  the  grin,  what- 
ever befalls  them.  When  they  see  a  white  man  and  his  knick-knacks, 
they  grin.  They  grin  when  they  rub  their  noses  with  snow,  when 
they  blow  their  fingers,  when  they  lubricate  their  hides  inside  and  out 
with  the  fat  of  the  seal.     The  good-naturedness  referred  to  iiere  was 


174  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

endorsed  by  Hall  from  the  outset  of  his  acquaintance  with  the  natives ; 
their  other  good  points  as  well  as  defects  were,  as  would  be  expected, 
impressed  upon  him  with  differing  experiences  and  judgments  through- 
out his  years  of  sojourn.  Quite  a  number  of  the  people  frequented 
the  barque  ;  among  them  the  wife  of  Kud-la-go,  who  had  heard  on  shore 
of  her  husband's  death,  and  whose  tears  flowed  fast  when  she  saw  the 
treasures  which  the  deceased  had  gathered  in  the  States,  for  her  and 
his  little  child. 

On  the  16th,  the  two  ships  sailed  for  Nu-gum-mi-uke,  their  intended 
winter  quarters.  Before  sailing,  two  other  whalers,  the  "  Black  Eagle  " 
and  the  "  Georgianna "  had  come  in  from  another  whaling-ground. 
Tlie  harbor  entered  by  the  "  George  Henry  "  was  not  easy  of  access, 
but  safe ;  Hall  gave  it  the  new  name  of  Cyrus  W.  Field  Bay,  which 
it  retains. 

On  the  21st,  the  "  Rescue  "  was  sent  by  the  captain  to  examine  the 
availability  for  a  fishing  depot  of  an  inlet  on  the  other  side  of  the  bay, 
and  Hall  accompanied  it,  making  his  first  visit  to  the  scene  of  the  land- 
ings of  the  voyagers  under  old  Sir  Martin  Frobisher,  three  centuries 
before.  Here  he  made  discoveries  of  value  ;  and  here  he  lost  his 
"Expedition  Boat,"  the  only  means  on  which  he  could  rely  for  the 
prosecution  of  his  Avestward  journeyings. 

The  gale  which  brought  these  disasters  was  a  severe  one.  Three 
vessels,  tlie  "  Barque,"  the  ^  Rescue,"  and  the  whaler  "  Georgianna " 
were  anchored  near  each  other  in  the  bay  September  27,  when  the 
storm  began ;  it  increased  by  11  P.  M.  to  a  hurricane.  The  "  Rescue  " 
after  dragging  for  some  hours,  dashed  upon  the  breakers,  a  total 
wreck ;  the  "  Georgianna  "  struck  heavily  on  the  lee-shore. 

THE   EXPEDITION   BOAT   LOST. 

Hall's  boat  was  driven  high  upon  the  rocks,  nothing  being  after- 
ward found  of  her,  except  her  stern-post ;  but  before  the  howl  of  the 
tempest  ended,  he  was  asking  of  Captain  Budington  the  loan  of  a  whale- 
boat  to  replace  his  loss :  he  was  unable  to  secure  one. 

With  a  party  of  Eskimos,  he  visited  Captain  Parker  of  the  "  True 
Love,"  an  old  whaler  of  forty-five  years'  Arctic  experience,  and,  explain- 


o  - 
9  J, 


ts    £  X 
3     ~  . 


175 


176 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


ing  to  him  his  plans  and  the  loss  of  his  expedition  boat,  received  the 
promise  of  one  additional  to  the  whaleboat,  which  he  hoped  to  get  from 
the  "  George  Henry  "  for  his  westward  voyage.  The  party  were  piloted 
through  a  passage  from  which  no  opening  to  the  ship  could  be  seen 
by  the  woman  Nik-u-jar^  who,  knowing  every  channel  and  inlet  within 
two  hundred  miles  of  the  anchorage,  and  seated  on  the  loggerhead  of 
the  boat,  with  her  pretty  infant  in  her  hood  at  the  back  of  her  neck, 
steered  directly  to  the  spot.     Unfortunately  the  "True  Love,"  a  few 

days  afterward,  being  driv- 
en from  her  anchorage  by 
a  gale,  went  off  to  sea,  and 
Hall  was  thus  disappoint- 
ed both  in  the  loan  of  the 
boat,  and  even  in  the  op- 
portunity of  sending  let- 
ters home. 

His  original  plans  were 
finally  arrested,  and  his  at- 
tention was  given  during 
the  stay  of  the  "  Barque  " 
only  to  the  language  and 
habits  of  the  people,  to 
observations  of  natural 
phenomena,  and  to  the  dis- 
coveries of  the  Frobisher  remains,  and  the  location  of  the  old  attempted 
settlements  under  that  explorer.  The  story  of  these  is  spread  out  in 
an  easy  but  exceedingly  diffuse  style  in  his  "  Arctic  Researches,"  the 
thread  of  which  will  now  be  followed. 

Within  the  month  following  the  loss  of  the  boat,  the  native,  Ebie- 
bing  (afterward  called  Joe),  with  his  wife,  Too-koo-litoo  (Hannah), 
came  to  the  cabin  of  the  whaler.  Joe  had  recently  piloted  to  the  Bay 
the  "True  Love"  and  the  "Lady  Celia,"  through  a  channel  more  than 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  long,  behind  a  line  of  islands  facing  the 
sea.  Too-koo-litoo  at  once  impressed  Hall  with  an  expectation  of  valu- 
able assistance  from  her,  as  she  as  well  as  her  husband  appeared  to 


NIK-U-JAR,  THE  BOAT-STEERER  AND  PILOT. 

From  Hall's  "Arctic  Researches."    Harper  Brothers. 


TEMPERATUKES    IN   NOVEMBER. 


177 


be  intelligent  aiul  spoke  English  quite  fluently.  They  had  acquired 
this  from  a  residence  of  twenty  months  in  England.  Ilannali  promptly 
set  herself  to  learning  to  read  under  Hall's  teaching. 

November  19,  the  ice  from  the  head  of  the  bay  began  to  bear  down 
upon  the  ship,  and  by  the  6th  of  the  month  following  she  was  secured 


KSKI 


in  winter  quarters.  The  temperature  was,  however,  +5°,  ana  the 
weather  moderate  and  clear.  The  temperature  of  the  sea-water  No- 
vember 24th  was  26°,  and  of  the  air  18°;  the  barometer  read  29'55. 
December  8,  the  thermometer  was  at  zero  ;  on  the  9th  it  was  47°  below 
the  freezing  point.  The  ice  was  solid  around  the  ship,  the  season  not 
uncomfortable.  December  20,  the  thermometer  read  -5° ;  on  the  21st, 
4-21° ;  on  the  22d,  32°  5'.  Rain  on  the  last  of  these  days  destroyed 
much  of  the  native  covering  of  the  u/Ioots   (snow-huts),  and   the  ex- 


178  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

traordinary  mildness  of  the  season  prevented  the  usual  hunts.  The 
natives  suffered  for  supplies.  January  5,  the  thermometer  registered 
60°  below  the  freezing  point. 

hall's   FIRST   SLEDGING. 

On  the  10th  Hall  left  Rescue  Harbor,  lat.  62°  52'  N.,  Ion.  64°  44' 
W.,  on  his  first  inland  excursion  by  sledge  and  dogs.  Having  now- 
acquired  some  knowledge  of  the  native  language,  and  having  the 
company  of  the  two  natives  just  named,  with  a  third,  Koodloo,  a  rela- 
tive of  a  woman  whom  he  had  befriended  when  dying,  he  thought 
himself  ready  for  the  discomforts  of  an  Arctic  journey.  His  sledge 
was  loaded  for  a  team  of  ten  dogs,  with  a  fair  outfit  of  clothing,  provi- 


LA.MP. 
The  mending  done  by  Eskimos. 

sions,  and  sleeping  comforts;  his  telescope,  sextant,  thermometer, 
and  marine  glass ;  a  rifle,  with  ammunition ;  and  a  Bowditch  Nautical 
Almanac,  and  other  books.  Too-koo-litoo  at  first  led  the  way,  tracking 
for  the  dogs,  which  Ebierbing  managed  well;  but,  on  nearing  the 
frozen  waters  of  the  ocean,  where  it  was  necessary  to  lower  the  sledge 
to  the  ice,  the  dogs  were  detached,  while  the  woman,  whip  in  hand, 
held  on  by  the  traces,  which  were  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  long. 
The  difficulty  of  the  outgoing  tide  being  overcome,  the  party,  under 
the  same  leader,  again  made  some  six  miles  over  the  ice,  and  finding 
good  material  for  building  a  snow-house,  encamped  at  five  P.M.  The 
fitting  up  of  the  igloo  —  always  the  work  of  the  igloo  wife — was 
done  by  first  placing  the  stone  lamp  in  its  proper  position,  trim- 
ming it,  and  setting  over  it  a  kettle  of  snow;  then  placing  boards 
upon  the  snow-platforms  for  beds,  and  spreading  over  them  the  canvas, 
containing  some  of  a  dry  shrub,  gathered  for  this  purpose,  and  on  this 


AN   IGLOO   ON   THE   ICE. 


179 


the  tuk-too,  or  reindeer-skins ;  over  the  lire-lamp  the  wet  clothing  was 
hung,  to  be  turned  during  the  night  by  the  wife's  watchfulness.  From 
the  fatigue  of  the  day  Hall's  first  night  was  passed  in  sound  sleep, 
even  after  a  dinner  of  raw  salt  pork.  At  nine  the  next  morning  he 
was  ready  for  a  new  start. 

The  second  advance  was  one  of  but  five  miles,  at  the  end  of  which 
a  new  igloo  was  built  on  the  ice,  on  which,  however,  a  strong  gale 
detained  them  many  hours,  and  threatened  destruction  to  the  whole 


STORM   BOUND, 
tf^om  HaU'i  "Arctic  Re»earche»."    Harper  Brothers. 

party  by  breaking  up  the  floe.  On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  an 
opening  with  a  snow-knife  through  the  dome  of  the  igloo  showed  a 
clear  sky,  but  the  ice  was  moving  in  every  direction,  and  the  snow 
very  deep.  Travel  became  very  difficult,  nearly  exhausting  them  by 
two  P.M. ;  but,  on  finally  reaching  the  shore  ice,  the  party  was  able  to 
encamp  on  Rogers  Island,  alongside  of  another  igloo,  where  refresh- 
ment was  obtained.  In  the  morning  a  lookout  on  the  bay  showed  that 
all  the  ice  on  which  they  had  been  camping  had  gone  out  seaward. 
They  had  been  saved. 


180  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

The  severity  of  the  season  which  had  now  overtaken  him  prevented 
the  further  explorations  which  Hall  hoped  to  make,  and  this  first  of  his 
Arctic  experiences  outside  of  the  comforts  of  the  ship  proved  to  be  a 
sharp  discipline.  During  the  forty-three  days  thus  spent  he  suffered 
severely  from  the  want  of  food,  as  well  as  from  exposure.  On  the 
19th  he  supped  on  raw,  frozen  whale-hide ,  the  next  night  all  that  he 
had  to  eat  was  black  whale-skin,  and  he  longed  even  for  more  of  the 
blackened  scraps,  saved  for  the  dogs,  but  which  were  swallowed  whole 
by  a  native  woman.  He  kept  himself  at  times  from  freezing  only  by 
sitting  in  bed  with  much  fur  around  him  ,  and  yet  he  wrote  his  journal 
with  the  thermometer  at  zero  inside  the  igloo,  outside  at  — 25°  to  — 52°. 
Partial  relief  came  b}^  supplies  received  through  Ebierbing  from  the 
ship  and  from  a  seal  caught  by  him.  His  first  attempts  at  a  return 
to  the  ship  were  arrested  by  his  extreme  weakness,  for  the  Arctic 
exposure  of  his  life  thus  far  had  begun  to  tell  upon  him,  but  on  the 
21st  he  succeeded  in  getting  on  board.  He  considered  that  his  sojourn 
had  given  him  valuable  experience ;  and  looking  back  on  it  after- 
ward, he  says  "he  enjoyed  it,  being  as  happy  as  circumstances  would 
permit." 

On  his  return  to  the  "  George  Henr}","  the  first  night  was  a  sleepless 
one,  the  change  from  the  pure  atmosphere  of  the  snow-house  to  the 
confined  air  of  the  cabin  bringing  to  him  "a  sweating  process,"  with 
suffering.  On  his  recommendation  to  send  two  of  the  crew,  seriously 
afflicted  with  scurvy,  to  stay  with  the  Innuits  and  live  exclusively  on 
fresh  meat,  walrus,  and  seal.  Captain  Budington  sent  them  to  the 
friends  whom  Hall  had  made  at  Oopungnewing,  seventeen  miles  dis- 
tant. But  the  two  men  soon  tired  of  igloo-life,  and  at  their  first  relief 
from  sickness  set  out  to  return  to  the  barque  :  one  of  them,  persistently 
liolding  on  his  course  and  leaving  his  Innuit  companions,  lost  his  way 
in  the  snow,  and  after  a  long  search  was  found  frozen  dead. 

SPRING  EXCURSIONS. 

April  22,  1861,  the  extreme  severity  of  the  season  having  passed. 
Hall  set  out  on  a  second  excursion  to  explore  the  land  on  what  was 
marked  on  the   charts   as    Frobisher's   Straits.      His   companion  was 


THE   DISCOVERY   OF   FKOBISHEK   BAY.  181 

Koojesse,  a  native  well  acquainted  with  the  country,  who  had  made; 
for  him  one  of  the  almost  invaiial)ly  accurate  native  charts.  As  the 
travel  was  to  be  on  foot  over  the  ite.  Hall's  light  equipment  for  the 
journey  was  attached  to  liim  by  a  strap  jjassing  over  his  shoulders 
across  his  breast,  and  down  the  back. 

The  travellers  crossed  Field  Bay,  thence  over  a  fatiguing  mountain 
pass  through  a  magnificent  gorge  between  high  rocks,  and  thence  along 
a  small  inlet  of  the  Countess  of  Warwick  Sound,  where,  upon  an 
abrupt  turn,  they  caught  sight  of  the  water.  In  the  distance  were  the 
peaks  of  Meta  Incognita.  The  natives  here  first  told  Hall  of  the  tra- 
ditions, that  white  men,  a  long  time  ago,  had  masted  a  ship  at  this  spot. 
This  first  intimation  of  the  times  of  old  Frobisher,  three  centuries 
before,  was  exciting ;  still  more  so,  however,  was  the  demonstration 
the  day  following,  that  the  so-called  strait  was  in  reality  a  bay.  He 
had  expected  to  pass  through  this  opening  westward,  in  the  prosecution 
of  his  original  plan  for  the  search  of  Franklin's  men  ;  but  before  his 
eyes  lay  the  open  waters  of  a  bay,  its  surface  dotted  over  with  floating- 
broken  ice.  A  week  further  was  passed  in  making  further  investiga- 
tions, mapping  the  locality,  and  accurat(;ly  placing  on  record  all  that 
was  supposed  to  bear  on  Frobisher's  Expedition,  the  time  being  si)ent 
chiefly  in  a  snow-village  of  "  pure  white  igloos." 

During  the  next  month  a  larger  number  of  traditionary  items  were 
obtained  from  the  natives,  in  regard  to  the  old  Expedition  ;  chiefly 
from  the  aged  grandmother  of  Ebierbing,  whose  name  was  Ookijoxky- 
Ninoo.  Too-koo-litoo  was  the  interpreter  between  Hall  and  this  native, 
the  substance  of  whose  statement  was,  that  frequently  in  her  lifetime 
she  had  seen  on  the  neighboring  island  of  Ni-oun-tilik,  coal,  bricks,  and 
large  pieces  of  very  heavy  stone,  black,  such  as  no  Innuits  had  ever  seen 
before ;  that  she  had  heard  from  old  Innuits,  that  "  many,  many  years 
ago,  "ships  had  come  with  Kod-lu-nas  aboard,  two  first  coming,  then  two 
or  three,  and  then  very  many ;  that  five  white  men,  captured  by  Innuit 
people,  had  lived  among  them  till  the  next  opening  season,  and  then 
left  the  country  in  a  large  boat  which  they  had  built  with  masts  and 
sails ;  and  that  the  Kod-lu-nas  had  killed  some  Innuits  and  carried  off 
others.     TJie  very  heavy  stones,  of  which  the  old  woman  spoke.  Hall 


182  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

at  once  thought  must  be  iron,  and  Ebierbing  and  Too-koo-litoo  thought 
so  too.  They  were  the  only  Innuits  who,  having  visited  England,  rec- 
ognized the  bricks,  and  had  themselves  seen  them.  This  information, 
drawn  from  a  woman  appearing  to  be  at  least  a  hundred  years  of  age, 
sufficed  for  Hall's  determination  to  visit  Ni-oun-tilik.  It  set  his  mind 
upon  the  possibility  of  valuable  discoveries  in  a  land  where  he  had 
already  collected  a  chart  of  its  waters.  He  was  astonished  at  the  power 
of  memory  and  the  remarkable  way  in  which  the  people  of  the  icy 
North  could  preserve  history  from  one  generation  to  another,  without 
a  written  language.  He  Avas  also  confirmed  in  the  belief  that  he  could 
certainly  learn  from  such  people  the  fate  of  the  lost  Polar  Expedition. 
As  he  had  now  but  little  hope  of  securing  on  this  voyage  a  boat  for 
King  William's  Land,  or  at  least  of  setting  out  westward  until  late 
in  the  season,  he  determined  to  visit  the  waters  which  he  justly,  from 
that  date,  names  only  as  Frobisher  Bay. 

May  27.  —  He  set  out  from  the  ship  with  dogs  and  sledge,  accom- 
panied by  Ebierbing  and  two  of  the  native  women,  and  on  this  first  of 
a  series  of  short  journeys  to  the  bay,  found  some  additional  links  to  the 
Frobisher  Expedition.  He  also  heard  one  story,  his  report  of  which 
reaching  the  United  States  was  afterwards  regretted  by  himself  and 
others.  It  seemed  to  indicate  the  wreck  of  Franklin's  ships  in  this 
region,  but  was  the  true  account  of  the  wreck  of  a  British  whaler. 

During  the  month  of  June  a  second  excursion  was  made,  on  which 
Hall  visited  the  north  Foreland  of  Frobisher ;  and  in  July,  the  ship 
having  left  her  anchorage  in  search  of  whales,  he  took  up  his  abode 
with  Ebierbing  on  shore,  and  with  him  renewed  his  explorations  of  the 
country,  finding  on  his  trips  pieces  of  sea-coal,  further  confirming 
the  old  traditions.  To  satisfy  himself  more  rigidly,  he  dug  down  into 
the  centre  of  a  coal-heap,  "  around  and  beneath  clods  of  thickly-matted 
grass,  around  and  beneath  stunted  willow,  and  '  crowberry '  shrubs, 
around  and  beneath  mosses,  and  wherever  he  made  these  examinations, 
he  found  coal.  Many  places  overgrown  with  grass  he  examined,  dig- 
ging down  a  depth  of  several  inches  and  overturning  sods  exhibiting 
coal  at  the  base,  then  a  layer  of  sand  and  coal,  then  another  layer  of 
two  or  three  inches  of  sand  overlapped  by  interlocked  roots,  whence 


PASSING  THROUGH  LUPTON  CHANNEL. 
t>om  Haiti  "Arctic  Betearcbe*."    Harper  Brothers. 


184 


A.MElllCAX   EXPLOIIATIONS   IX    THE    ICE   ZONES. 


extended  thrifty  grass.  The  roots  of  the  stunted  willow,  half  an  inch 
in  diameter  at  the  base  of  the  trunk,  pierced  down  into  the  sand  and 

thence  into  coal !     On  examination  of  many  pieces  of  coal,  bedded 

some  in  grass,  some  in  sand,  and  some  in  moss  —  the  upper  side  ex- 
posed to  the  air,  was  found  to  be  covered  with  pellicles  of  black  moss» 
such  as  one  finds  upon  the  rocks  of  ages." 


INDIAN  SUMMER  VILLAGE. 
From  Hall's  "Arctic  Researches."    Harper  Brothers. 


This  convinced  him  that  this  coal  had  lain  there  for  centuries ;  and 
by  other  strong  indications  he  was  justified  in  referring  it  to  the 
Frobisher  voyages  of  1557-1559.  During  the  month  of  August,  he 
'Completed  the  survey  of  the  bay  he  had  now  discovered. 

An  interesting  boat-voyage  was  made  on  this  exploration.  He  left 
the  ship  with  three  natives  and  their  wives,  encountering  at  first  much 
ice  driven  in  from  the  Straits,  and  a  thick  fog,  and  in  the  evening 
reached,  the  entrance  of  Lupton  Channel,  through  which  a  strong  tide 
was  running  into  Field  Bay,  "foaming,  whirling,  roaring,  and  boiling 


NEW   DISCOVERIES. 


185 


like  ti  cauldron  ;  *'  by  dint  of  hard  j)ulling  the  boat  got  through.  In 
a  tujjik  on  shore,  after  a  good  supper  on  seals,  ducks,  and  coffee, 
cooked  with  wood  from  the  wrecked  ship  "  Traveller,"'  the  party  were 
closely  packed  for  the  night. 

While  passing  through  Bear  Sound,  Hall  witnessed  a  novel  mode 
of  securingr  ducks.  Whenever  one  of  the  flock  which  had  dived  tui  the 
water  popped  up  its  head,  the  Innuits  made  a  great  noise  throwing 
about  their  hands  and  arms  to  frighten  the  bird  down  again,  and  re- 
peating this  same  noise  and  frantic  gestures  without  a  moment's  breath- 
ing-time for  the  terrified  duck,  until  in  about  seven  minutes  it  came 
to  the  surface 
utterly  e  x- 
hausted,  and 
was  easily  cap- 
tured. By  this 
process  of 
drowning 
ducks,  quite  a 
number  were 
secured  amid 
the  boisterous 
merriment  of 
the  natives,  which  was  echoed  from  the   rocks  of  the  Sound. 

At  a  native  summer  village  visited  on  the  route,  the  women  were 
found  busily  occupied  in  sewing  up  skins  to  make  a  kia.  The  covering 
of  the  boat  was  hung  over  a  pole  resting  on  the  rocks,  everything  being 
kept  wet,  while  the  women  worked  their  sewing  by  large  braided  thread 
of  white  whale-sinews.  Venison  and  seal  meat  were  hung  to  dry  on 
strings  stretched  along  the  ridge  of  each  tupik ;  at  that  season  provis- 
ions were  abundant. 

In  September,  the  most  interesting  discoveries  were  made.  On  the 
top  of  Bishop's  Island,  from  which  the  whole  coast  could  be  seen,  were 
found  the  ruins  of  a  house,  which  had  been  built  of  stone,  cemented 
with  lime  and  sand,  every  part  of  it  being  covered  with  old  moss,  and  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Island  was  found  an  excavation,  which  was  called 


THE   TUKNCU,  ONK  OF   FROBISHKRS   "GOLD  .MINES." 
From  Hall's  "Arctic  Researches."     Harper  Brothers. 


186  AJMERICAN   EXPLOEATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

a  ship's  trench,  for  the  Iiinuits  said  that  was  where  a  ship  had  been 
built  by  white  men.  It  had  been  dug  out  of  stone,  wliich  was  of  such 
a  nature  as  to  yield  to  the  persevering  use  of  pick-axe,  sledge-hammer, 
and  the  crowbar.  The  bottom  of  the  trench,  which  was  one  hundred 
and  ten  feet  in  length,  was  an  inclined  plane,  running  from  the  surface 
of  the  ground  to  a  depth  of  twenty-five  feet  at  the  water's  edge. 

From  what  Hall  saw  he  was  fully  convinced  that  very  many  years 
ago,  men  of  civilization  did  live  on  this  island,  called  by  the  Innuits 
Kodlunarn,  and  that  they  built  a  vessel,  probably  a  schooner,  there. 
The  trench  by  the  shore,  on  the  inclined  plane,  was  such  as  is  used  in 
building  a  ship  on  stocks ;  there  were  ruins  of  three  stone  houses,  besides 
coal,  flint-stone,  fragments  of  tile,  glass  and  pottery,  and  large  masses 
of  iron  pyrites  or  bisulphide  of  iron.  The  finding  of  this  and  its  signi- 
ficance can  be  gathered  from  the  following  facts :  Of  the  one  hundred 
men  sent  out  from  England  with  Frobisher  in  1578,  the  majority  were 
"miners,"  sent  for  the  express  purpose  of  digging  for  the  "rich  ore" 
of  which  Frobisher  had  carried  specimens  home  on  his  return  from 
his  second  voyage, — the  ore  being  supposed  to  be  very  valuable,  the 
miners  made  proofs  in  various  parts  of  the  regions  then  discovered. 
It  was  some  of  these  proofs  which  had  now  been  found,  and  they 
showed  that  Hall  had  been  on  the  precise  spot  of  the  Countess  of 
Warwick's  mine.  Delighted  with  these  discoveries,  and  gathering 
up  as  many  relics  as  he  could  carry  in  his  old  stockings,  mittens, 
hat,  and  everything  that  would  hold  them  safely,  he  labelled  each 
article  and  returned  to  his  companions  in  the  boat,  on  the  27th, 
regaining  the  ship  in  Parker's  'Bay.  The  company  were  warmly 
welcomed,  as  both  the  ship's  crew  and  Innuits  had  scarcely  expected 
his  safe  return  in  the  leaky  whaleboat  of  their  journey.  Hall  had 
with  him  Sir  John  Barrow's  "Chronological  History,"  which  gave 
him  in,  substance  this  account  of 

FROBISHER's  THREE  VOYAGES. 

In  the  year  1576,  by  the  countenance  and  assistance  of  Dudley, 
Earl  of  Warwick,  and  a  few  friends,  Frobisher  was  able  to  fit  out  two 
small  barks,  the  "Gabriel"  of  thirty-five,  and  the  "Michael"  of  thirty 


frobisher's  "fool's  gold."  187 

tons,  together  with  a  pinnace  of  ten  tons.  With  this  little  squadron 
he  prepared  to  set  out  on  his  important  expedition,  and  on  the  8th 
of  June  passed  Greenwich,  where  the  court  then  was,  and  Queen 
Elizabeth  bade  them  farewell  by  shaking  her  hand  at  them  out  of  the 
window. 

July  11,  1576,  the  ships  came  in  sight  of  Friesland,  rising  like 
pinnacles  of  steeples,  and  all  covered  with  snow.  This  island^  ivhose 
position  has  so  greatly  puzzled  geographers,  could  not  be  the  Friesland 
of  Zeno,  but,  being  in  61°  of  latitude,  was  evidently  the  southern  part 
of  Greenland.  The  floating  ice  obliged  Frobisher  to  stand  to  the  south- 
west," till  he  got  sight  of  Labrador,  along  the  coast  of  which  he  then 
stood  to  the  westward,  but  could  neither  reach  the  land,  nor  get  sound- 
ings on  account  of  the  ice.  Sailing  to  the  northward  he  met  with  a 
great  island  of  ice,  which  fell  in  pieces,  making  a  noise  as  if  a  great 
cliffe  had  fallen  into  the  sea.  After  this  he  entered  a  strait  in  lat. 
63"  8'.  This  strait,  to  which  his  name  was  given  from  his  being  its  first 
discoverer,  is  the  same  which  was  afterwards  named  Lumley's  Inlet, 
but  Frobisher's  Strait  was  for  a  long  time  supposed  by  geographers  to 
have  cut  off  a  portion  from  Old  Greenland,  till  Mr.  Dalrymple  and 
others  showed  the  fallacy  of  such  a  supposition.  .  .  . 

Frobisher  set  sail  for  England  and  arrived  at  Harwich  on  the  2d 
of  October,  '  highly  commended  by  all  men  for  his  greate  and  notable 
attempt,  —  but  specially  famous  for  the  great  hope  he  brought  of 
the  passage  to  Cathaia.'  That  hope,  however,  would  probably  have 
died  away,  l^ut  for  an  accidental  circumstance  which  had  been  dis- 
regarded during  the  voyage.  Some  of  the  men  had  brought  home 
flowers,  some  grass,  and  one,  a  piece  of  stone  '  much  like  a  sea  cole  in 
color,'  merely  for  the  sake  of  the  place  from  whence  they  came.  A 
piece  of  this  black  stone  being  given  to  one  of  the  adventurers'  wives, 
by  chance  she  threw  it  into  the  fire,  and,  whether  from  accident  or 
curiosity,  having  quenched  it  while  hot  with  vinegar,  '  it  glistened  with  a 
bright  marquesset  of  golde.'  The  noise  of  this  incident  was  soon  spread 
abroad,  and  the  stone  was  assayed  by  the  '  gold  finers  of  London,'  who 
reported  that  it  contained  a  considerable  quantity  of  gold.  A  new 
voyage  was  immediately  set  on  foot  for  the  following  year,  in  wliich 


188  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

we  are  told  by  Master  George  Beste,  P'robisher's  Lieutenant,  that  the 
Captaine  was  specially  directed  by  commission  to  search  for  more  of 
the  gold  ore  rather  than  for  tlie  Northwest  Passage. 

SECOND    VOYAGE,  (lo7T). 

Frobisher  was  now  openly  countenanced  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  and 
on  taking  leave  for  his  Second  Voyage  had  the  honor  of  kissing  her 
majesty's  hand,  who  dismissed  "him  with  gracious  countenance  and 
comfortable  words.  He  was  besides  furnished  with  one  tall  ship  of 
her  Majesty's,  named  '  y®  Ayde  '  of  two  hundred  tninie,  or  thereabouts : 
and  two  other  Utile  barks  likewise,  the  one  called  the  '  (tabriell," 
whereof  Master  Fenton  was  Captaine ;  and  the  other  the  *  ^liuhael,' 
whereof  Master  York,  a  gentleman  of  my  Lord  Admirall's,  was  Cap- 
taine," those  two  vessels  were  about  thirty  tons  each.  On  the  27tli 
May  (1577),  having  received  the  Sacrament  and  prepared  themselves 
"  as  good  Christians  toward  God,  and  resolute  men  for  all  fortunes," 
they  left  Gravesend,  and  after  a  long  passage  fell  in  with  Friesland,  in 
lat.  60J°,  on  the  4th  of  July,  the  mountains  covered  with  snow,  and  the 
coast  almost  inaccessible  from  the  great  quantity  of  drift  ice.  .  .  . 

Four  days  were  here  spent  in  vain  endeavor  to  land,  after  which 
they  stood  for  tlie  strait,  discovered  by  them  the  preceding  year.  They 
arrived  off  the  north  foreland,  otherwise  Hall's  island,  so  called  after 
the  man  who  had  picked  up  the  golden  ore,  and  who  was  now  master 
of  the  "  Gabrielle."  They  proceeded  some  distance  iip  the  Strait, 
when,  on  the  18th  of  July,  the  general  taking  the  gold  finers  with  him, 
landed  near  the  spot  where  the  ore  had  been  picked  up,  but  could  not 
find  in  the  wliole  island  "  a  piece  as  bigge  as  a  walnut,"  but  all  the 
neighboring  islands  are  stated  to  have  good  store  of  the  ore.  On  the  top 
of  a  high  hill,  about  two  miles  from  the  shore,  "  they  made  a  colurane 
or  crosse  of  stones,  heaped  up  of  a  good  height  together  in  good  sort, 
and  solemnly  sounded  a  trumpet  and  saide  certaine  prayers,  kneeling 
about  the  ensigne,  and  honored  the  place  by  the  name  of  Mount 
Warwicke.  .  .  .  They  now  stood  over  to  the  southern  shore  of  Fro- 
bisher's  Strait,  and  landed  on  a  small  island  with  the  gold  finers  to 
search  for  ore  ;  and  here  all  the  sands  and  cliffes  did  so  glister,  and  had 


WRECK   OF   FKOBISHER's    FLEET.  189 

SO  bright  a  marquesite,  that  it  seemed  all  to  be  golde,  but  upon  tryall 
made,  it  proved  no  better  than  black  lead  and  verified  the  proverbe  ;  — 
'  all  is  not  golde  that  glistereth.'  "... 

As  the  season  was  far  advanced  and  the  General's  commission  directed 
him  to  search  for  gold  ore,  and  to  defer  the  further  discovery  of  the 
passage  till  another  time,  they  set  about  the  lading  of  the  ships,  and  in 
the  space  of  twenty  days,  with  the  help  of  a  few  gentlemen  and  soldiers 
got  on  board  almost  two  hundred  tons  of  ore.  On  the  22d  of  August, 
after  making  bonfires  on  the  highest  mount  on  this  island,  and  firing  a 
volley  for  a  farewell  "  in  honor  of  the  Right  Hon.  Lady  Anne  Countess 
of  Warwicke,  whose  name  it  beareth,"  they  set  sail  homewards,  and 
after  a  stormy  passage,  they  all  arrived  safe  in  different  ports  of  Great 
Britain,  with  the  loss  of  only  one  man  by  sickness,  and  another  who 
was  washed  o\erboard.  ... 

THIRD  VOYAGE   (1857). 

The  Queen  and  her  court  were  so  highly  delighted  "in  finding  that 
the  matter  of  the  gold  ore  had  appearance,  and  made  show  of  great 
riches  and  profit,  and  the  hope  of  the  passage  to  Cathaia  by  this  last 
voyage  greatly  increased ; ''  that  after  a  minute  examination  by  Com- 
missioners specially  appointed,  the  voyage  was  determined  to  be  highly 
worthy  of  being  followed  up.  The  Queen  gave  the  name  of  Meta 
Incognita  to  the  newly-discovered  country,  on  which  it  was  resolved  to 
establish  a  colony.  .  .  .  The  fleet  sailed  from  Harwich  the  31st  May, 
1578,  and,  on  the  20th  of  June  discovered  West  Friesland,  which  they 
now  named  West  England.  .  .  .  They  found  the  Strait  choked  up 
with  ice,  and  the  bark  "Dennis'"  received  such  a  blow  with  a  rock 
of  ice  that  she  immediately  sank,  but  the  people  were  all  saved.  A 
violent  storm  now  came  on  and  the  whole  fleet  was  dispersed.  .  .  . 
They  all,  however,  arrived  at  various  ports  of  England  about  the 
1st  of  October,  with  the  loss  by  death  of  about  forty  persons. 

XEW   HOPES. 

The  investigations  which  Hall  had  now  made  in  connection  witli  tlie 
traditions  received  from  the  natives,  were  a  large  c-oniiuMisation  for  the 


190  AMERICAJS^   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

disappointment  of  his  first  plans.  He  began  to  think  that  he  niiglu 
yet  hope  for  the  realization  of  those  earlier  designs,  and  that  these  dis- 
coveries would  assist  him  toward  securing  the  means  for  their  prosecu- 
tion. The  whaler  intended  to  return  to  the  United  States  on  the  20th 
of  October,  but  a  solid  pack  being  seen  in  Davis'  Strait  she  found  herself 
ice-imprisoned  for  the  winter.  Captain  Budington  expressed  his  thanks 
to  Hall  for  his  discovery  of  this  pack,  without  the  knowledge  of  wliich 
he  had  been  about  to  weigh  anchor,  and  would  have  been  caught  in  the 
pack  without  tlie  power  of  retreat. 

The  remaining  months  of  the  autumn  of  1861  and  the  winter  follow- 
ing embraced  the  usual  routine  of  Arctic  life  of  the  season.  Hall  had 
opportunities  of  adding  to  the  traditionary  information  he  had  gathered 
on  this  point  of  so  much  historic  interest.  Accustomed  by  this  time  to 
the  exposures  of  an  Arctic  winter,  and  having  made  sufficient  advance 
in  his  use  of  Innuit  words  to  put  questions  to  the  natives  and  under- 
stand many  of  their  replies,  his  difficulties  lessened,  and  his  occupations 
brought  to  him  increasing  interest  and  value. 

The  ship's  company  were  not  fully  supplied  with  provisions  for  a 
second  winter,  but  were  made  comfortable  by  the  labors  of  the  Innuits 
in  their  hunts  of  the  seal  and  the  walrus.  On  the  occasions  of  theatrical 
performances  on  board,  the  Innuits  crowded  in,  frequently  amusing  the 
crew  by  their  performances  on  the  Key-low-tik,  and  the  superstitions  of 
the  An-ge-ko  —  customs  which  will  be  described  hereafter. 

In  the  middle  of  December,  the  thermometer  being  20°  below  zero. 
Hall  made  an  excursion  of  a  week  to  the  point  named  Jones'  Cape. 
He  notes  a  singular  incident  occurring  to  his  dog-team.  "  When  they 
put  their  feet  into  the  snow  and  sea-water,  it  was  like  stepping  into  a 
flood  of  molten  gold,  and  the  phosphorescent  light  thus  produced  was 
not  confined  to  the  space  beneath  the  dogs  and  the  sleds,  but  spread 
itself  around  and  continued  for  several  seconds." 

The  season  was  not  without  an  experience  of  suffering  by  the  natives 
themselves ;  several  dying  from  the  disease  of  consumption,  and  a  num- 
ber of  their  toils  and  hunts  being  made  without  success.  They  re- 
ceived among  them  at  different  times  one  or  two  of  the  ship's  crew 
sent  to  recover  their  health  on  igloo  food. 


NATIVE   HUT-BUILDING.  191 

In  the  early  part  of  the  spring  of  1862,  Hall  renewed  his  explorations 
in  and  around  the  harbor,  and  upon  Kod-lu-narn  discovered  additional 
relics  of  the  Frobisher  Expedition,  and  the  traces  of  old  blacksmiths' 
furnaces  and  forges.  April  1,  he  had  again  left  the  ship  in  company 
with  four  of  her  crew  and  four  Innuits  in  a  whaleboat,  having  whaling 
apparatus  lashed  to  a  sled,  which  a  good  team  of  nineteen  dogs  was  to 
drag.  Reaching  the  native  village  Oopungnewing  in  nine  hours,  they 
found  some  of  the  whaler's  crew  living  there,  and  in  good  health,  and 
Hall  himself  remained  there  for  some  days.  Resuming  his  trip  he  went 
out  on  the  sea-ice,  making  good  advance  with  a  sled  heavily  laden  with 
kow  (walrus-hide),  and  at  four  p.m.  rested  in  an  igloo. 

BUILDING   AN   IGLOO. 

The  natives'  mode  of  building  these  was  as  follows :  —  "  They  first 
sounded  or  '  prospected '  the  snow  with  their  seal-spears  to  find  the 
most  suitable  for  that  purpose.  Then,  one  commenced  sawing  out 
snow-blocks,  using  a  hand-saw,  an  implement  now  in  great  demand 
among  the  Innuits  for  that  purpose ;  the  blocks  having  been  cut  from 
the  space  the  igloo  was  to  occupy,  the  other  Innuit  proceeded  to  lay 
the  foundation  tier,  which  consisted  of  seventeen  blocks,  each  three  feet 
long,  eighteen  inches  wide,  and  six  inches  thick.  Then  commenced 
the  spiraling,  allowing  each  tier  to  fall  in,  dome-shaped,  till  the  whole 
was  completed,  and  the  key-stone  of  the  dome  or  arch  dropped  into  its 
place,  the  builders  being  within  during  the  operation.  When  the  igloo 
was  finished  two  Innuits  wer^  walled  in  ;  then  a  square  opening  was 
cut  at  the  rear  of  the  dwelling,  and  through  this  Smith  and  I  passed 
some  snow-blocks,  which  we  had  sawed  out.  These  Sharkey  and  Kuo- 
jesse  chipped  or  minced  with  their  snow-knives,  while  Tu-nuk-der-lien 
and  Jennie  trod  the  fragments  into  a  hard  bed  of  snow,  forming  the 
couch  or  the  dais  of  the  igloo.  This  done,  the  women  quickly  erected 
on  the  right  and  left  the  fire-stands,  and  soon  had  fires  blazing,  and 
snow  melting  with  which  to  slake  our  thirst.  Then  the  usual  shrubs, 
kept  for  that  purpose,  were  evenly  spread  on  the  snow  of  the  bed- 
place  over  which  was  laid  the  canvas  of  my  tent ;  and  over  all  were 
spread  tuktoo  furs  forming  the  bed.     When  the  work  had  been  thus 


192 


AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 


far  advanced,  the  main  door  was  cut  out  of  the  crystal  white  wall,  and 
the  walrus-meat  and  others  were  passed  in.  Then  both  openings  were 
sealed  up,  and  all  within  were  made  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of  com- 
forts that  would  hardly  be  dreamed  of  by  those  at  home." 

But  from  the  22d  of  the  month,  for  nearly  ten  weary  days,  Hall  had 
to  remain  encamped  on  the  main  ice  off  the  land,  and  the  natives  were 


ESKIMO  AND  HIS  SEAL-DOG. 

From  Hall's  "Arctic  Researches."    Harper  Brolhers. 


unsuccessful  in  every  attempt  io  secure  either  the  seal,  the  walrus,  the 
white  whale,  or  any  game.  The  only  food  within  the  igloo  was  the 
how  (walrus-hide)  with  the  hair  on ;  their  lamp  was  without  oil,  and 
without  it  they  could  have  no  fresh  water.  The  capture  of  two  seals 
at  last  brought  relief. 

Again  pressing  forward,  he  completed  a  lengthened  exploration  of 
nearly  two  months,  arriving  at  the  George  Henry's  anchorage  May  21. 
The  details  of  this  journey  and  of  his  survey  occupy  a  large  space  in  the 
volume  of  his  "  Researches."    His  corrections  of  the  charts  of  the  locali- 


NATIVE  DRESS.  193 

ties  examined  have  been  of  value  to  the  whaling  fleets,  which  have 
continued,  though  with  less  frequency,  to  visit  them. 

His  experience  of  Eskimo  life  and  forced  self-adaptation  to  it,  begun 
on  this  voyage,  seems,  strangely  enough,  to  have  carried  its  attractions 
through  the  second  visitation  and  residence  of  five  years,  which  is  yet 
to  be  described.  His  acquaintance  with  the  inside  life  of  the  degraded 
and  the  superstitious,  and  with  their  modes  of  obtaining  their  supplies, 
will  be  best  portrayed  by  selections  from  the  records  of  his  later  resi- 
dence ;  what  here  follows  may  show  his  first  impressions  corrected  by 
those  experiences. 

As  regards  the  appearance  of  the  Innuits,  as  he  justly  prefers  to  call 
them,  without  noting  their  average  low  stature,  so  well  known,  even  in 
comparison  with  that  of  those  on  the  northwestern  American  coast, 
Hall  notes  that  the  women  were  found  generally  tattooed  on  the  fore- 
head, cheeks,  and  chin.  The  process  for  this  is  simply  the  drawing  of 
a  soot-blackened  reindeer-sinew  thread  under  and  through  the  skin 
by  a  needle ;  the  tattooing  is  done  from  principle ;  the  lines,  as  they 
believe,  will  be  regarded  in  the  next  world  as  a  sign  of  goodness. 
Neither  for  the  females  of  thi^  region  nor  for  those  around  Hudson's 
Bay  does  he  express  himself  in  any  commendation  of  an  attractive 
personal  appearance,  thus  indicating  a  contrast  between  these  and 
the  natives  of  Greenland,  of  whom  each  Arctic  voyager  has  spoken  in 
praise. 

The  native  dress  for  winter  is  of  reindeer-skin  ;  for  summer,  of  the 
seal.  The  round  jacket  without  opening  in  front  or  behind  is  slipped 
over  the  head,  is  close-fitting,  comes  as  low  as  the  hips,  and  has  sleeves 
reaching  to  the  wrists.  It  has  a  hood  at  the  back  for  covering  the  head 
in  cold  weather,  or  carrying  the  children  (see  page  176),  and  is  often  very 
elaborately  ornamented.  The  wife  of  one  of  the  natives  had  her  jacket 
trimmed  thus:  Across  the  neck  a  fringe  made  of  eighty  pendants  of 
red,  blue,  black,  and  white  glass  beads,  forty  on  each  string ;  on  the 
flap  in  front,  bowls  of  Britannia  metal,  tea  and  table-spoons  ;  on  the  tail 
reaching  nearly  to  the  ground,  six  pairs  of  federal  copper  cents  pendant 
down  the  middle  ;  and  a  huge  brass  bell  from  some  old-fashioned  clock  at 
the  top  of  the  row  of  cents.     In  winter  two  jackets  are  worn,  the  inner 


194 


AIMERTCAN  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 


one  with  the  hair  next  the  body.  Their  breeches  reach  below  the  knee, 
and  are  fastened  with  a  string  drawn  tightly  around  the  lower  part  of 
the  waist.  Those  worn  by  the  women  are  put  on  in  three  pieces,  each 
leg  and  the  body  forming  separate  parts. 

The  full  winter  dress  consists  of:  first,  long  stockings  of  reindeer  fur, 
with  the  hair  next  the  person;  second,  socks  of  the  eider-duck  skins, 
with  the  feathers  on  and  inside;  third,  socks  of  sealskin,  with  the 
hair  outside ;    fourth,  kumings   (native  boots),  with  legs  of  tuktoo, 

the  fur  outside,  and  the  soles  of 
ook-gook.  All  wear  mittens, 
though  the  women  generally  wear 
only  one,  and  that  one  on  the  right 
hand ;  the  left  is  drawn  within 
the  sleeve. 

The  mode  of  capture  of  the  bear, 
the  reindeer,  the  whale,  and  the 
walrus  will  be  noted  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  Second  Expedition. 
Hall,  at  an  early  period  of  his  first 
voyage,  noticed  two  remarkable 
qualities  in  the  native  character, 
which  have  a  strong  bearing  upon 
their  success  in  obtaining  a  liveli- 
hood. One  of  these  is  the  accu- 
racy with  which  they  sketch  the 
lines  of  coast  and  the  ice-foot,  aid- 
ing their  journey ings ;  outlines  of 
marked  correctness  were  made  for  him.  A  sketch  of  superior  accuracy, 
as  endorsed  by  the  charts  of  distinguished  Arctic  navigators,  will  be 
found  in  the  Narrative  of  the  next  voyage. 

Of  the  Innuit  sagacity  in  gaining  lessons  of  value  from  the  habits  of 
the  animals  he  says  that  they  observe  how  the  seal  constructs  its  own 
igloo,  and  model  their  own  winter  dwellings  from  it. 

Sectional  view  No.  1  shows  a  seal's  hole  and  igloo  with  a  young 
one  lying  within  and  a  mother  coming  up  to  visit  it.     The  horizontal 


SEAL-HOLE  AND  SEAL-IGLOO.— No.  1. 
From  Hall's  "Arctic  Researches."    Harper  Brothers. 


STRIKING   FOR   A   SEAL. 


195 


lines  in  tlie  engraving,  and  those  across  the  seal-hole,  represent  sea- 
water  ;  the  perpendicular  lines,  ice.  By  the  time  the  sun  has  melted 
off  the  snow  covering,  destroying  the  dome,  the  young  seal,  for  which 
this  home  has  been  made  by  its  prospective  mother,  is  ready  to  take 
care  of  itself.     The  season  for  their  building  is  about  April  1. 

To  capture  the  seal  the  native  always  needs  his  dog,  who,  however, 
only  scents  the  igloo,  leaving  his  master  to  catch  the  game.  The  sealer 
is  awaiting  the  seal's  blow,  for 
which  he  has  sometimes  to  watch 
motionless  two  or  three  days  and 
nights.  At  the  point  indicated 
by  his  dog,  he  thrusts  down  the 
spindle  of  his  steel  spear,  to  find 
through  the  snow  the  breathing- 
hole  of  an  inch  or  two  in  diam- 
eter; then,  withdrawing  his  spear, 
he  strikes  it  again  unerringly 
through  the  snow,  eighteen  to 
twenty-foar  inches,  to  the  seal's 
head.  The  animal  dives  and  runs 
out  the  full  length  of  the  line  in 
the  sealer's  hand,  but  he  soon 
draws  out  his  prize  from  the  hole 
which  he  has  enlarged  with  his 
ice-chisel. 

When  a  seal  is  taken,  a  few 
drops  of  water  are  sprinkled  on  its  head  before  it  is  cut  up ;  if  no  water 
is  to  be  had,  snow  is  held  in  the  hand  until  a  drop  is  squeezed  out- 
Women  are  not  allowed  to  touch  the  first  seal  of  the  season,  even  to 
press  out  its  oil  for  others. 


SEAL-HOLE.  — Xo.  2. 


FIRST   IMPRESSIONS. 

The  Innuits,  as  is  well-known,  eat  voraciously.  Hall  says  on  one 
occasion  he  was  compelled  to  say  to  himself :  "  What  monstrous  stom- 
achs these  Eskimos  have."  They  had  been  cutting  up  the  krang  (whale- 


196  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

meat)  into  huge  slices  and  sending  it  to  the  village  for  deposit,  but  all 
day  long  as  they  worked  they  ate.  "  The  quantity  taken  on  one  day 
seemed  enough  for  many."  Before  this  whale  had  been  brought  along- 
side the  "  George  Henry,"  they  had  eaten  twenty  square  feet  of  the 
raw  skin. 

The  language  of  the  natives  of  Northumberland  Inlet  is  a  dialect 
understood  with  great  difficulty  by  natives  who  come  from  the  North 
and  West,  and  is  still  more  difficult  for  the  people  of  Greenland.  The 
Innuits  of  Hall's  first  acquaintance  could  not  count  beyond  ten  by 
words ;  by  signs,  that  is  by  throwing  open  the  fingers,  they  could  go 
further. 

Their  religious  ideas  and  observances  are  chiefly  under  the  influence 
of  their  An-ge-kos,  whose  business,  like  those  of  the  Medicine  Man  of 
the  Shammans  of  the  Western  coast,  is  to  minister  for  the  sick,  and  for 
the  community  in  general.  His  mode  of  procedure,  when  called  in  for 
the  sick  or  for  any  case  of  supposed  special  relief,  is  first,  to  demand 
immediately  his  pay,  and  then,  with  the  family  around,  to  begin  incan- 
tations or  what  sounds  like  a  prolonged  supplication  with  formulas 
responded  to  by  the  company.  The  An-ge-ko  is  employed  also  in  an- 
kooting  for  success  in  the  hunts,  for  the  disappearance  of  the  ice,  and 
for  a  good  season.  On  more  than  one  occasion  he  was  found  to  be 
graspingly  covetous  and  otherwise  immoral,  but  is  almost  universally 
feared  and  obeyed.  The  name  An-ge-ko  was  reported  to  mean  "  he  is 
very  great." 

RETURN   TO   THE   UNITED   STATES. 

Hall's  return  from  this  first  voyage  was  now  compelled  by  the  re- 
lease of  the  ship,  the  whaling  season  of  the  year  having  ended.  He  had 
acquired  some  useful  knowledge  of  Eskimo  life  and  language,  the 
further  in  which  he  advanced  the  more  he  hoped  to  turn  it  to  advan- 
tage on  a  renewed  voyage.  August  9,  the  "  George  Henry "  took  a 
final  leave  of  the  inmates  of  the  bay,  a  crowd  of  whom  surrounded  her 
in  their  Kias  and  Oo-miens,  waving  their  partings  and  shouting  their 
Ter-bou-e-tie  (farewell).  In  his  Journal,  three  months  before,  he  had 
written,  "  Ebierbing  and  his  nuUana,  Too-koo-litoo,  will  accompany  me 
to  America,  and  on  a  future  Expedition  to  King  William's  Land.     I 


TOO-KOO-LI-TOO,   H-AIX.   AN!)  EBTERBrSG. 

From  U«ll'«  "Arctic  Re»e«Tchc»."    Uarper  Brothers. 


198  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

hope,  after  what  I  have  done  here  in  the  North,  Ijiiiall  have  no  insur- 
mountable obstacle  to  overcome  in  preparing  for  that  voyage.  That 
the  Innuits  are  still  living  who  knew  all  about  the  mysterious  termina- 
tion of  the  Franklin  Expedition,  I  have  not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt. 
What  is  requisite  is  to  visit  those  regions,  get  acquainted  with  the 
Innuits  there,  become  familiar  with  their  language,  and  then  learn  the 
history."  The  two  natives  had  expressed  a  desire  to  go  to  the  United 
States,  fearing  only  that  their  child  might  die  on  board  ship ;  at  an 
hour's  notice,  with  their  child  and  their  seal-dog,  they  were  on  their 
way  to  the  barque  from  their  hut,  seven  miles  distant. 

After  working  through  the  ice  for  twenty-four  hours,  the  barque 
was  fairly  at  sea.  Without  any  special  incident  except  their  falling 
short  of  provisions  and  their  inability  to  obtain  relief  from  ships  met 
with,  the  "  George  Henry "  reached  St.  John's  August  23,  and  New 
London  September  13,  1862, — Hall  thus  ending  his  voyage  and  explo- 
rations of  two  years  and  three  and  a  half  months  in  and  about  the 
Arctic  Seas.     But  he  was  already  planning  a  Second  Expedition. 


ESKIMO  LAMP. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

HALL'S  SECOND   ARCTIC  EXPEDITION.  —  RESIDENCE  AMONG  THE 
ESKIMOS   1864   TO   1869.* 

PREPARATORY  LABORS.  —  PAPER  BEFORE  THE  AMERICAN  GEOGRAPHI- 
CAL SOCIETY.  —  FROBISHER  RELICS  SENT  TO  LONDON  AND  TO  THE 
SMITHSONIAN.  —  LECTURES.  —  PLANS  FOR  THE  NEW  VOYAGE.  — 
SAILING  OF  THE  "  MONTICELLO."  —  LANDING  AT  WHALE  POINT.  — 
FIRST  INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  NATIVES.  —  FEASTING.  —  ANKOOT- 
ING.  —  THE  KEY-LOW-TIK.  —  WALRUS  HUNT.  —  NEW  YEAR's  DAY. 
—  SEALING. — hall's  FIRST  PRIZE.  —  CAPTURE  OF  A  WHALE. — 
WINTER  QUARTERS  AT  FORT  HOPE. — HALL's  DAILY  LIFE. — AURO- 
RAS.—  REFRACTION  AND  PARHELIA. — NATIVE  MAPPING.  —  UNSUC- 
CESSFUL ADVANCE  WESTWARD.  —  FRANKLIN  RELICS.  —  JOURNEY  TO 
CAPE  WEYNTON. — JOURNEY  TO  FURY  AND  HECLA  STRAITS.  —  A 
MUTINEER.  —  JOURNEY  TO  IGLOOLIK.  —  VISIT  TO  KING  WILLIA^l'S 
LAND.  —  FRANKLIN  RELICS.  —  CAPTURE  OF  THE  THIRD  WHALE. — 
RETURN   TO   THE  UNITED   STATES. 

PREPARATORY  LABORS    (1862-64). 

HALL'S  preparations  for  his  second  Expedition  occupied  a  period  of 
two  years.  The  labors  of  those  years,  by  showing  the  successful 
results  of  his  first  voyage,  and  by  the  interest  created  through 
the  publication  of  his  "Arctic  Researches,"  secured  his  second  outfit. 
The  residence  among  the  Eskimos  which  followed  gave  him  a  longer 
Arctic  experience  than  that  of  any  other  explorer. 

The  purpose  of  the  first  voyage,  defeated,  as  has  been  shown,  by  the 
loss  of   his  boat,  was  but  strengthened  by  defeat.     Of  this  he  gave 

*  The  Narrative  of  this  Expedition,  and  that  of  Hall's  third,  —  the  "  North  Polar  Expe- 
dition of  1871,"  — have  been  drawn  up  from  the  material  placed  before  the  author  while 
on  duty  on  this  subject  at  the  U.  S.  Naval  Observatory.  To  the  official  records  and  corre- 
spondence of  these  Expeditions  then  furnished,  favorable  opportunities  offered  themselves 
for  supplementing  some  of  Hall's  Journals  by  the  receipt  of  his  correspondence  with  his 
choice  friends,  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  Mr.  J.  C.  Brevoort,  of  New  York,  and  Captain  Bud- 
ington  and  Mr.  J.  J.  Copp,  of  New  London,  Conn.  For  the  use  of  some  of  the  illustra- 
tions acknowledgments  are  due  to  Prof.  Baird  of  the  Smithsonian,  and  Dr.  E.  Bessels. 

199 


200  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE   ZONES. 

renewed  proof,  before  reaching  the  United  States,  by  a  telegram  from 
St.  Johns,  Newfoundland  —  a  dispatch  which  began  with  the  words  "I 
am  bound  for  the  States  to  renew  voyage.,^''  and  which  reads  throughout 
more  like  news  from  an  excursionist  than  from  one  who  had  been  fight- 
ing his  way  through  two  Arctic  winters.  The  fortitude  into  which  he 
had  been  disciplined  will  be  seen  to  have  shown  itself  steadily  through 
the  two  succeeding  years  of  working  and  waiting. 

On  his  arrival  in  New  London,  placing  the  Eskimos  under  the  care 
of  Captain  Budington,  he  made  a  short  visit  to  Cincinnati.  While  there 
his  letters  evinced  much  concern  as  to  the  opinions  which  the  Eng- 
lish people  might  form  from  the  reports  in  the  press  of  a  hasty  impres- 
sion received  from  him  that  he  had  probably  determined  the  fate  of  the 
two  boats'  crews  of  Franklin's  Expedition.  He  had  been  led  into  this 
error  by  a  party  of  Sekoselar  Innuits,  but  promptly  corrected  it  in  the 
columns  of  the  New  York  press,  and,  afterwards,  more  fully  in  a  paper 
read  before  the  American  Geographical  Society,  and  in  the  "Arctic  Re- 
searches." His  apprehensions  were  that  before  the  first  corrections 
could  reach  England,  the  error  would  prejudice  the  English  against  the 
genuineness  of  the  discoveries  he  had  been  making  in  the  region  vis- 
ited. The  apprehension  proved  to  have  been  groundless.  It  however 
induced  Hall  to  decline  lecturing  in  Cincinnati,  and  to  entertain  a  new 
idea  in  regard  to  the  proper  disposition  of  the  relics. 

He  naturally  set  a  value  on  his  late  explorations,  and  had  reason  to 
suppose  they  would  interest  the  English  people.  He  believed  that  the 
account  given  by  Frobisher  himself  was  so  indefinite  that,  for  nearly 
three  hundred  years,  the  civilized  world  had  been  in  doubt  of  the  pre- 
cise localities.  Up  to  the  time  of  this  visit  of  1861  no  opportunity 
had  been  embraced  for  identifying  them,  or  for  confirming  other  ac- 
counts which  Frobisher  had  given.  The  Admiralty  chart  of  1853,  and 
that  furnished  by  the  volume  of  DeHaven's  Expedition,  still  had  upon 
them  the  so-called  "  Strait,"  which  was  supposed  to  be  a  passage  west- 
ward to  the  further  part  of  Hudson's  Bay ;  but  navigators  had  always 
chosen  Hudson's  Straits  in  passing  to  and  from  that  bay.  Had  any  one 
attempted  the  passage  through  what  was  laid  down  on  their  charts  as 
Frobisher's  Strait,  they  must  have  failed  to  pass  through.      He  had 


SIR  MABTIN. 


201 


reason  for  desiring  to  prove  the  genuineness  of  his  discoveries,  and 
he  expressed  a  wish  to  place  his  proofs  before  a  committee  that  might 
be  appointed  in  London  to  examine  his  notes,  his  relics,  and  himself. 


MARTIN  us   FROBISHERUS  EQUES  AURATUS. 
From  "  The  Three  Voyage*  of  Frobitber,"  edited  bjr  the  late  AdminU  ColUnfon,  R.  If. 


Sir  Martin's  name  was  that  of  one  of  the  first  Englishmen  to  sail  in 
quest  of  the  passage,  and  it  was  one  of  no  less  fame  under  Drake  and 
Howard,  for  in  1588  he  was  knighted  for  service  under  the  High  Admi- 
ral Howard  against  the  Armada. 


202  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Hall's  enthusiasm  prompted  him  to  say  that  the  age  of  his  relics, 
and  the  remarkable  circumstances  attending  them,  stamped  them  as 
worthy  gifts  for  Queen  -Victoria.  Barrow  had  taught  him  that  the 
expeditions  of  Sir  Martin  were  among  the  favorite  objects  of  Elizabeth, 
who  had  shown  her  favor  by  throwing  around  his  neck  a  chain  of  gold. 
Conferring,  however,  with  Mr.  Grinnell,  in  New  York,  he  decided 
to  send  the  relics  out  to  England,  in  place  of  exhausting  his  own 
means  and  delaying  his  plans  by  a  visit  to  London. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  American  Geographical  Society  of  New  York, 
introduced  by  Mr.  Grinnell,  he  made  a  report,  which  will  be  found 
noted  in  their  "Proceedings"  of  the  year,  under  the  title  of  "An  Ab- 
stract of  a  Paper  on  some  Arctic  Discoveries."  In  this  paper,  after 
referring  to  his  statements  before  the  Society  made  two  years  previ- 
ously, he  re-stated  in  full  the  original  purpose  of  his  late  voyage  to 
visit  King  William's  Land  and  Boothia,  and  there  spend  two  years,  if 
needed,  in  gathering  materials  for  concluding  in  a  more  satisfactory 
way  the  history  of  Franklin's  Expedition ;  to  recover  the  logs  of  the 
ships  "  Erebus  "  and  "  Terror,"  with  all  other  manuscripts  belonging  to 
that  Expedition ;  and  especially  to  rescue  some  lone  survivor  or  sur- 
vivors, that  peradventure  might  be  found  living  with  the  Eskimos. 
He  then  gave  an  account  of  Messrs.  Williams  and  Haven's  generously 
free  conveyance  to  Northumberland  Inlet,  of  himself  and  his  Eskimo 
companion,  Kud-la-go,  with  his  boat,  provisions,  and  stores ;  of  his  boat 
being  wrecked;  and  of  his  long  residence  with  the  natives,  during 
which  he  had  ingratiated  himself  with  them,  adopting  their  style  of 
dress,  living  in  their  snow-huts,  and  feeding  on  their  raw  whale-skin,, 
walrus,  and  seal-meat. 

With  some  exultation,  he  said  that  in  September,  1861,  he  had 
landed  on  an  island  which  the  Innuits  and  their  ancestors  from  time 
immemorial  had  called  Kod-lu-Narn,  or  White  Man's  Island,  from  the 
tradition  that  strangers  had  lived  there  and  tried  to  escape  from  it ; 
that  on  this  island  he  had  found  remains  of  stone  houses,  coal,  iron, 
and  glass,  all  covered  with  the  moss  of  ages ;  and  that  he  had  visited 
every  accessible  place  named  by  the  Eskimos  as  connected  with  the 
fate  of  the  strangers  there,  "  many,  many  years  ago."     He '  added  his 


DISCUSSION   OF  THE   RELICS.  203 

convictions  that  he  had  thus  been  the  first  to  revisit  the  precise  locali- 
ties of  Frobisher's  expeditions,  quoting  from  Hakluyt  and  other  works, 
in  which  the  materials  taken  out  by  Frobisher  for  the  erection  of  stone 
houses  and  everything  necessary  for  the  colony  of  one  hundred  men  are 
detailed ;  and  he  exhibited  the  specimens  which  he  had  brought  from 
the  ruins,  asking  the  Geographical  Society  to  inspect  them  rigidly  in 
evidence  for  or  against  his  statements. 

He  then  showed  that  during  his  two  years'  northern  residence  he 
had  explored  over  one  thousand  miles  of  coast,  making  as  careful  a 
survey  as  his  means  and  instruments  permitted,  and  proving  that  the 
water  which  had  for  three  centuries  been  called  Frobisher's  Strait  was 
a  wide  bay ,  adding,  "  Inasmuch  as  I  have  failed  in  the  great  object  for 
which  I  went  out,  it  is  my  intention  to  try  again  in  the  following 
spring." 

Donations  of  the  relics  were  sent  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  and 
a  part  of  the  geological  collections  presented  to  the  New  York  Lyceum 
of  Natural  History  was  the  subject  of  Reports  by  Mr.  R.  P.  Stevens 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Eggleston.  A  discussion  of  another  part  of  the  col- 
lection by  Professor  Emerson  of  Amherst  College,  endorsed  by  Pro- 
fessor White  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  of  the  Territories, 
forms  Appendix  3  of  the  volume  of  "Hall's  Second  Arctic  Expedition,'* 
published  by  the  United  States  Senate  in  1879.  With  the  relics  sent 
to  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  was  a  carefully  prepared  outline 
sketch  of  the  bay,  and  three  diagram  maps,  one  of  them  the  Countess 
of  Warwicke  Sound. 

Commander  Becher,  R.N.,  of  the  Admiralty,  who  had  written  elab- 
orately of  these  old  voyages,  wrote  to  Hall,  "I  have  no  doubt  of  3'our 
relics  being  those  left  by  Frobisher's  party."  His  correspondence 
abroad  produced  also  a  valuable  incidental  result,  the  issue  of  a  new 
volume  of  the  "  Hakluyt  Series,"  in  which  the  late  Admiral  Collinson, 
R.N.,  the  well-known  Arctic  explorer,  of  the  relief  ship  "  Enterprise  " 
(see  Table  II.,  page  29),  has  given  a  rare  edition  of  the  Frobisher 
voyages,  cordially  dedicating  it  "  to  Henry  Grinnell,  of  New  York,  as 
a  tribute  of  respect  and  admiration,  not  only  for  his  conduct  and  gen- 
erous co-operation  in  the  search  for  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  com- 


204  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

panions,  but'  for  the  interest  he  had  shown  in,  and  the  aid  he  had 
afforded  to,  Polar  exploration  in  the  present  day." 

The  Admiral  gives  an  extended  catalogue  of  Hall's  relics,  which 
were  to  be  deposited  in  London  with  the  Franklin  relics  brought  back 
by  liae  and  McClintock.  Captain  Becher  courteously  forwarded  als© 
to  Hall  the  charts,  which  he  might  find  useful. 

He  now  entered  on  a  course  of  lectures  for  securing  aid  toward  the 
Second  Expedition,  and  for  his  own  support  and  that  of  the  Eskimos, 
delivering  these  to  large  audiences  in  Providence,  Norwich,  Hartford, 
New  Haven,  Hudson,  Elmira,  and  other  cities ;  exhibiting  on  his  maps 
the  routes,  of  the  old  voyagers,  Frobisher,  Davis,  Baffin,  and  others, 
and  his  own  recent  explorations.  The  Eskimo  family  were  always 
objects  of  much  interest,  Too-koo-litoo  showing  an  unexpected  knowl- 
edge of  the  geography  of  her  country,  and  reminding  Arctic  students 
of  the  native  woman,  I-lig-li-uk,  and  her  chart  drawn  for  Parry.  The 
lecturer  could  not  claim  poHsh  or  ease  of  oratory,  but  secured  close 
attention  by  the  tact  and  enthusiasm  of  these  conversational  dis- 
cussions. His  friends  regretted  that  under  its  general  rule  against  pay 
lectures,  the  Smithsonian  Institution  could  not  tender  the  audience- 
room  to  which  Kane  and  Hayes  had  been  invited,  for  he  had  hoped  to 
interest  the  officers  of  the  government  at  Washington  in  an  appropria- 
tion by  Congress  for  a  new  voyage.  The  proceeds  of  his  lectures 
secured  but  little  beyond  the  necessary  expenses ;  they  made  friends 
for  him,  but  as  to  pecuniary  gain,  he  "  was  worse  off  than  when  he 
started  out."  Yet  he  pushed  forward  his  x^lans.  To  the  credit  of  his 
sincerity  and  intelligent  thoughtfulness,  it  should  be  noted  that  he 
kept  his  mind  under  the  influence  of  the  counsels  and  the  example  of 
leaders  who  had  themselves  passed  to  success  only  through  dishearten- 
ing trials.  In  his  private  note-books  are  to  be  found,  underscored 
almost  word  by  word,  such  maxims  as  these :  "  Our  greatest  glory  con- 
sists not  in  falling,  but  in  rising  every  time  we  fall."  "  The  question 
is  not  the  number  of  facts  a  man  knows,  but  how  much  of  a  fact  he  is 
himself."  He  remembered  that  Henry,  the  revered  Secretary  of  the 
Smithsonian,  had  said  he  had  "  freely  given  to  the  world  the  results 
of  his  labors,  expecting  only  in  return  to  enjoy  the  consciousness  of 


WHALES  TO   BE  CAPTURED.  205 

having  added  to  the  sum  of  human  happiness."  And  Smithson  had 
written,  "Every  man  is  a  valuable  member  of  society,  who,  by  his 
observations,  researches,  and  experiments,  procures  knowledge  for 
men." 

NEW   PLANS. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1863,  an  anxiously-awaited  conference  was 
held  with  Mr.  Grinnell,  and  Mr.  R.  H,  Chapell,  of  the  house  of  Wil- 
liams and  Haven,  New  London,  at  which  Hall  presented  the  notes  for 
his  Second  Expedition,  the  chief  of  which  included  the  following 
ideas,  under  the  head  of  his 

"  Proposed  Expedition  to  Boothia  and  King  William's  Land,  for  the 
final  determination  of  all  the  mysterious  matters  relative  to  Sir  John 
Franklin's  Expedition." 

A  vessel  of  about  two  hundred  tons  to  be  furnished  and  provisioned 
for  two  years  and  six  months ;  the  same  to  be  under  Hall's  command. 
The  vessel  to  be  fitted  out  for  whaling,  the  object  being  to  have  the 
whole  expense  of  the  Expedition  paid  by  the  proceeds  of  whalebone 
and  oil ;  to  go  on  or  before  the  1st  of  June  of  the  present  year,  and 
make  direct  for  the  north  side  near  the  entrance  of  Frobisher's  Bay  ; 
there  to  take  aboard  three  or  four  Eskimos,  with  their  wives,  also 
sledges  and  dogs ;  then  to  make  for  Hudson's  Strait ;  thence  to  Hud- 
son's Bay,  west  side,  south  to  Southampton  Island;  thence  up  the 
channel  of  Sir  Thomas  Rowe's  Welcome  to  Repulse  Bay. 

If  whales  were  found  on  the  way,  to  secure  as  many  as  possible, 
yet  no  further  delay  to  be  allowed  than  would  admit  of  getting 
into  Repulse  Bay  by  or  on  the  1st  of  September  of  the  same  year 
as  starting. 

If  it  were  found  advisable  under  certain  contingencies  for  the  vessel 
to  proceed  at  once  to  other  whale-grounds  than  that  of  Repulse  Bay, 
she  must  do  so  after  having  landed  him  and  his  party  and  outfit  for 
land  service,  to  wit,  for  his  expedition  from  Repulse  Bay  to  King 
William's  Land. 

A  cheap,  portable  frame  house  was  to  be  constructed  in  the  States 
and  landed  at  the  Bay,  to  be  used  there  for  storing  provisions  therein, 
and  also  as  a  residence. 


206  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

By  establishing  headquarters  at  the  bay,  having  there  a  whale-boat 
strongly  constructed,  and  having  there  also  Frobisher  Bay  Eskimos, 
there  need  be  no  hinderance  to  the  force  employed  on  the  vessel  from 
prosecuting  to  the  fullest  extent  their  whaling  business. 

The  whole  expense  of  the  Expedition  to  be  paid  from  the  proceeds 
of  the  whaling  branch,  providing  the  amount  warrants  it. 

Mr.  Grinnell  and  Mr.  Chapell  approved  the  ideas  of  this  plan,  but 
at  the  date  named,  during  the  reverses  of  the  war  not  yet  ended,  it  was 
no  time  for  either  commercial  house  to  take  the  risks  of  success  in 
whaling  pursuits.  Mr.  Grinnell  had  already  expended  on  Arctic  expe- 
ditions between  one  hundred  thousand  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  and  had  met  with  recent  losses. 

After  the  study  of  other  plans,  involving  essentially  the  same  ideas 
of  the  employment  of  a  ship  and  of  companions  on  his  proposed  jour- 
ney, and  finding  each  of  these  impracticable  for  want  of  funds.  Hall 
accepted  a  proposition  from  Mr.  Chapell  to  go  out  on  a  free  passage  in 
a  whaler  with  his  two  Eskimo  friends  only. 

HALL   SAILING  IN  THE   "  MONTICELLO." 

July  1,  1864,  the  "  Monticello,"  a  whaler  of  three  hundred  and  fifty- 
six  tons  register,  commanded  by  Captain  E.  A.  Chapel  of  Hudson,  New 
York,  sailed  from  New  London,  accompanied  by  the  tender  "  Helen  F.," 
of  one  hundred  tons.  Hall's  home  correspondence  was  closed  on  board 
by  his  acknowledgments  to  Messrs.  Harpers,  liis  publishers ;  forwarding 
to  them  his  last  corrected  proof-sheets  of  the  volume  of  the  "Re- 
searches." Arriving  at  St.  Johns,  he  received  from  U.  S.  Consul  Leach 
and  other  citizens  many  tokens  of  kindness  and  assistance  to  his  outfit. 
The  "  Monticello  "  sailed  again  on  the  18th. 

On  the  28th  Hudson's  Straits  were  entered,  and  the  ship  shaped  her 
course  for.  Resolution  Island.  Her  delay  in  passing  through  much 
floating  ice  was  available  for  taking  the  bearings  of  the  prominent 
headlands  along  the  shores  of  the  old  Meta  Licognita  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth ;  across  the  strait  lay  the  old  Frobisher  region. 

The  ship's  log  of  each  day  for  a  time  showed  much  the  same  varying 


c 


3     - 

a  t: 


5     ^ 

I  h 

i  > 


208 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 


record ;  for  a  few  hours  she  moved  forward  under  a  favorable  breeze, 
or  else  it  was  tack,  tack,  the  wind  dead  ahead;  she  bored  her  way 
through  the  pack,  or  meeting  an  impassable  barrier  made  fast  to  an  ice- 
berg. August  1,  her  iron-plated  bow  struck  so  heavily  on  the  hum- 
mocks, that  her  crew  were  in  waiting  to  jump  from  her  for  their  lives. 
Walruses  were  more  than  once  seen  basking  in  the  ice ;  undisturbed, 


POLAR  OF  HUDSON'S   STRAIT. 


they  raised  their  ferocious  heads  as  the  ship  swept  by,  and  then  rolled 
over  into  the  sea. 

August  3. — A  huge  Polar  was  captured.  On  the  chase  of  this 
animal  by  a  boat's  crew,  Bruin  soon  scented  his  pursuers,  and  when  a 
mile  off,  he  shuffled  to  and  fro  on  the  ice,  shook  his  head,  showed  his 
tusks  and  roared  furiously  at  them ;  then,  dropping  stern  foremost  into 
the  sea,  began  a  swim  at  the  rate  of  fully  six  knots.  Ebierbing's  rifle,  at 
the  distance  of  fifty  yards,  brought  him  a  lifeless  carcass  on  the  water. 


HALL  LANDS   ON   DEPOT   ISLAND.  209 

and  ill  thirty  minutes  from  the  beginning  of  the  chase  it  was  on  board 

ship.     Some  of  the  measurements  of  Ninoo  No.  1  were :  — 

Estimated  weight 1 ,  100  lbs. 

Length  from  snout  to  end  of  tail 8  ft.  5i  in. 

Circumference  of  the  middle 7  ft.  4  in. 

Length  of  front  teeth,  each 7  in. 

The  Eskimo  had  scarcely  finished  cutting  up  this  Polar,  when  he 
was  off  for  a  second  one  which  was  seen  asleep  some  two  miles  from  the 
ship,  and  he  secured  the  prize  after  twelve  shots,  the  twelfth  piercing  the 
brain.  The  number  of  shots  is  not  unusual,  a  bear  sometimes  seeming 
to  have  the  fabled  lives  of  the  cat. 

Polar  No.  1  was  immensel}'^  fat,  his  paunch  was  empty.  The  skin, 
the  fat,  and  the  meat  were  saved.  The  meat  was  eaten  and  partially 
relished  by  the  crew ;  the  inwards,  except  their  fat  covering,  were 
thrown  away,  as  unhealthful.  From  the  two  bears  over  seventy  gallons 
of  good  oil  were  secured ;  in  the  paunch  of  the  second  bear  were  found 
about  six  gallons  of  seal  oil. 

The  ship's  course  across  the  bay  was  ended  on  the  20th  by  her 
anchoring  at  Depot  Island,  lat.  63°  47'  N.  Ion.  89°  51 "  W.  The  English 
name  of  the  island  had  been  given  to  it  by  Captain  Chapel  on  a  former 
voyage,  the  Eskimo  name  being  Pik-e-u-la. 

UNFORTUNATE   LANDINGS. 

But  the  landing  here  was  again  a  grievous  disappointment  to  the 
explorer.  He  had  hoped  to  do  some  good  surveying  work  on  Marble 
Island,  the  original  destination  of  the  two  ships,  and  perhaps  to  discover 
the  remains  of  the  most  unfortunate  Expedition,  under  Knight  and 
Barlow,  which  perished  there  in  1719.  Mate  Chester,  who  accompanied 
the  party  to  the  island,  estimated  the  weight  of  Hall's  boat  and  outfit 
at  only  one  thousand  four  hundred  pounds.  It  was  twenty-eight  feet- 
long,  with  a  five  feet  ten  inch  beam,  and  of  but  twenty-six  inches  depth, 
when  fully  loaded. 

The  whaler  left  the  harbor  on  her  first  cruise  of  the  season,  and  Hall 
began  his  five  years'  Arctic  life ;  a  tent  was  erected  and  some  observa- 
tions made  for  position.  The  game  secured  on  the  22d  footed  up  nine 
petularks  and  one  wild  goose. 


210  AMERICAJSr  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

He  had  now  the  offer  of  an  assistant  in  a  Mr.  Rudolph,  one  of  the 
crew  of  a  whaler  which  had  come  in ;  and  as  the  man  had  spent  one 
winter  among  the  Inuuits,  was  recommended  by  the  mate  of  the  ship, 
and  declared  himself  ready  to  go  on  the  proposed  journey,  two  or  three 
years  inland,  he  was  accepted  after  being  fully  told  the  darkest  side 
of  the  experience  he  might  be  called  to  pass  through.  On  the  29th 
the  tender  "  Helen  F."  sailed  with  the  party  of  four  for  Wager  River, 
and  the  next  day  the  captain  landed  at  "  Whale  Point,"  which  he  be- 
lieved on  the  river ;  by  Hall's  observations  afterwards  it  proved  to  be 
forty  miles  south  of  the  point  of  the  captain's  reckoning.  This  was  a 
second  and  yet  more  grievous  disappointment,  and  it  caused  the  loss  of 
a  whole  year  to  the  objects  in  view ;  for,  had  the  landing  been  on  the 
river,  the  journey  to  Repulse  Bay  could  have  been  easily  made  before 
the  season  closed,  and  winter  quarters  secured  there  with  preparations 
for  the  spring  journey.  But  there  was  no  correcting  the  error.  Reach- 
ing a  little  harbor.  Hall  and  Rudolph  went  waist-deep  in  the  water  to 
haul  the  boat  "  Sylvia  "  ashore,  and  a  cache  was  soon  made  for  stores. 
The  position  of  this  "first  encampment"  was  lat.  64°  35'  N.,  Ion.  87° 
33'  W. 

A  single  white  man  as  leader,  with  a  compt'.nion  who  soon  proved 
useless  as  an  assistant,  a  desolate  region,  and  winter  almost  at  hand ! 
But  here  was  a  man  of  brave  heart  and  of  experience.  Up  the  shallow 
Welcome  of  Sir  Thomas  Rowe  the  little  craft  now  coasted,  piloted  by 
the  Eskimo,  Ebierbing  (Joe),  on  whom  the  party  were  for  a  long  seasou 
to  be  dependent  for  their  steersman  as  well  as  hunter.  Hall  wrote  to 
Chapel  that  American  whalers  who  had  opened  up  the  fishing  within 
the  currents  and  eddies  of  the  Welcome  must  be  good  navigators ; 
for  the  "  Sylvia,"  drawing  about  eighteen  inches,  often  touched  on 
her  course,  and  no  channel  could  be  found.  After  an  advance  of 
but  a  few  miles,  Joe  sighted  a  tupik  (skin-tent),  and  soon  afterward  a 
native  came  toward  the  boat,  gun  in  hand.  A  sharp  pull,  and  a  leap 
from  the  bow,  and  Hall  had  made  his  first  new  friend  in  Ouela,  a 
native  more  than  once  to  be  hereafter  referred  to  in  the  story  of  this 
and  of  later  voyages. 


^^^\^J<Z^ 


TRACES   OF  franklin's   MEN.  211 

QUESTIONS  AS   TO    FRANKLIN. 

At  a  tenting-place  (Noo-wook)  close  at  hand,  Ou-e-la,  called  by  the 
whalers  Albert,  Ar-tooya  (their  Angeko),  called  Frank,  and  Ar-raou,  the 
wolf^  and  their  people,  were  at  once  questioned,  through  Too-koo-litoo, 
about  Franklin's  lost  men.  Their  story  was,  that  years  ago  there  were 
two  ships  lost  near  Neit-chi-Ue,  and  that  a  great  many  Kod-lu-nas  died. 
Some  starved,  and  some  were  frozen  to  death ;  but  there  were  four  that 
did  not  die.  With  the  enthusiastic  desire  to  catch  what  he  could  of 
such  news.  Hall  as  promptly  accepted  ^this,  and  his  confidence  was 
strengthened  by  the  natives  pointing  out  on  the  Admiralty  chart  not 
only  Repulse  Bay,  but  the  track  of  Dr.  Rae,  whom  they  professed  to 
have  seen.  Ar-too-a  gave  him  an  account  of  Ou-lig-buck,  one  of  Rae's 
interpreters,  and  of  his  wounds  received  in  the  hunt,  his  story  corre- 
sponding with  the  record  given  by  Rae  himself  in  his  expedition  of 
1846-47. 

All  the  natives  advised  Hall  that  he  could  not  reach  Repulse  Bay 
at  that  late  season  of  the  year ;  that  he  would  not  find  any  Innuits 
there,  as  they  always  spent  the  winter  elsewhere  to  kill  the  seal  and 
walrus ;  and  that  if  he  could  get  there,  he  would  be  too  late  to  kill 
any  Tuk-too.  They  would  go  themselves  to  the  bay  next  season,  and 
then  to  Neit-chi-lle,  and  if  he  would  spend  the  winter  at  Noo-wook, 
they  would  give  him  all  the  Tuk-too,  walrus,  seal,  and  bear-meat 
needed,  reindeer  furs,  and  assistance.  He  decided  of  necessity  to  stay 
with  them. 

The  15th  of  September  was  a  day  of  gale.  The  "Welcome  was 
lashed  into  fury  by  the  north  wind,  which  drove  far  inland  everything 
like  game.  The  moon  was  full  at  9h.  9m.  Greenwich  time.  On  the 
going  down  of  the  sea.  Hall  and  his  new  man  Friday,  with  Ar-too-a 
and  Joe,  went  out  in  swift  pursuit  of  an  ook-gook  (^Phoca  harhata) 
which  had  been  seen  drifting  down,  seemingly  asleep ;  but  the  cautious 
seal  waked  at  the  sound  of  the  oars  and  disappeared. 

With  the  rapid  change  of  the  season  the  nights  began  to  be  cold, 
ice  was  forming  on  the  fresh-water  lakes,  and  there  were  signs  of  an 
approaching  snojv-storm.     A  sheltered  place  fof  the  tupiks  became  a 


212 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 


necessity.  On  the  18th  Hall's  journal  says  :  "  It  has  been  moving-day 
with  us,  and  an  interesting  picture  might  have  been  seen, — the  Innuits 
and  the  two  Kod-lu-nas,  with  packs  on  our  backs,  tramping  along 
towards  our  destined  new  home.     Old  Mother  Ook-bar-loo  had  for  her 


SNOW-PARTRIDGES. 

pack  a  monstrous  roll  of  reindeer-skins,  which  was  topped  with  kettles 
and  pans  and  various  little  instruments  used  by  Innuits  in  their  do- 
mestic affairs,  while  in  her  hand  she  carried  spears  and  poles  and  other 
things  that  need  not  be  mentioned  here.  Ar-too-a  had  for  his  pack 
his  tent  and  pole,  his  gun  and  et  ceteras  in  his  hand.  His  wife  had 
a  huge  roll  of  reindeer-skins  and  other  things,  much  of  the  character 
of  Ook-bar-loo's.     The  dogs  had  saddle-bags,  and  topping  them  were 


A   "COMFORTABLE   HOME. 


213 


pannikins  and  such  varied,  things  as  are  always  to  be  found  in  In- 
nuit  use.  Ebierbing  had  for  his  pack  our  tent  and  some  five  or  six 
tent-poles,  while  in  his  hands  he  carried  his  gun.  Charley  Rudolph 
had   a    large    roll    of    reindeer-skins,   carrying   also    numerous   tent- 


poles.  Too-koo-litoo  had  deerskins,  and  in  her  hands  various  things. 
I  carried  on  my  shoulder  two  rifles  and  one  gun,  each  in  covers ; 
imder  one  arm  my  compass  tripod,  and  in  one  hand  my  little  basket, 
which  held  my  pet  Ward  chronometer,  and  in  the  other  my  trunk 
of  instruments." 


214 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 


The  Innuits  then  brought  out  from  their  deposits  the  reindeer-skins 
cached  in  the  summer.  The  weight  of  these,  borne  by  the  women, 
was  as  much  as  one  hundred  pounds  to  each.  At  their  distribution 
the  women  were  allowed  to  choose  the  best.  '• 

The  ground  was  now  covered  with  snow,  the  lakes  bore  a  man's 
weight,  and  the  heavy  weather  on  the  coast  drove  the  game  inland. 
Flocks  of  the  Ptarmigan  (snow-partridges)  were  found  aftei"  each 
snowfall.  In  midwinter,  at  a  distance  of  ten  feet,  they  are  scarcely  dis- 
tinguishable from  the  snow. 

By  the  help  of  Ou-e-la,  Armou,  and  Joe,  Hall  established  himself  in 
his  first  winter  quarters.     He  says  of  his  igloo,  of  ten  feet  only  in 

diameter,  that  his  house 
was  a  building  without  a 
corner  and  without  props 
or  braces;  the  wall,  roof, 
and  door  a  unity,  yet  so 
strong  as  to  defy  the  pow- 
er of  the  fiercest  Arctic 
gales.  Two  months  after- 
ward he  wrote  :  "  I  ex- 
changed tent  for  snow- 
house,  and  have  been  all  the  time  as  comfortable  as  I  ever  have  been  in 
my  life.  You  would  be  quite  interested  in  taking  a  walk  through  my 
winter  quarters;  one  main  igloo  for  myself  and  Eskimo  friends,  and 
three  others,  all  joined  to  the  main,  for  storehouses.  A  low,  crooked 
passage-way  of  fifty  feet  in  length  leads  into  our  dwelling." 

From  this  date  until  neax-  the  first  day  of  the  year  following,  his  sup- 
plies of  food  and  his  visits  and  intercourse  with  the  natives  continued 
to  be  without  serious  discomfort.  His  experience,  however,  even  of 
this  first  season  began  to  correct  some  of  the  impressions  of  the  quali- 
ties of  the  Eskimos,  on  whom,  in  his  first  volume,  he  frequently  be- 
stows the  epithets  "noble  and  generous,"  "simple  and  freehearted." 
In  common  with  all  Arctic  voyagers  he  could  not,  indeed,  have  failed 
to  be  offended  at  the  outset  by  the  constant  witness  of  their  un- 
cleanly habits,  and  had  written  in  his  notes,  two  years  before,   that 


GROUND-PLAN   OF  HALL'S   FIRST   IGLOO. 


UNCLEANLY    HABITS 


VH  *3 


when  a  white  man  for  the  first  time  enters  a  tupik,  he  is  nauseated 
with  everything  he  sees  and  smells  —  even  disgusted  with  the  looks  of 
the  natives.  He  would  see  a  company  of  what  you  would  call  a  dirty 
set  of  human  beings,  mixed  up  among  masses  of  nasty,  uneatable 
flesh,  skins,  blood,  and  bones,  scattered  all  around ;  and,  hanging  over 
a  long,  low  flame,  the  Oo-koo-sin  (stone-kettle)  black  with  soot  and  oil, 
filled  with  black  meat,  swimming  in  a  smoking  fluid,  as  if  made  by 
boiling  down  the  dirty  scrapings  of  the  butcher's  stall,  while  the  dishes 
out  of  which  the  soup  is  taken  would  turn  his  stomach,  especially 
when  he  saw  the  dogs  wash  them  out  with  their  tongues  before  he  used 
them.  He  had  added  to  this  that  there  was  no  alternative  but  to  sub- 
mit to  their  customs  and  be  one  of  them.  On  this  second  voyage  his 
first  patient  was  one  from  whose  face,  by  persuasion,  he  sponged  off, 
with  soap  and  water,  a  thick  coat  of  primitive  soil. 

His  companionship  at  the  feasts  was  now  not  more  satisfactory,  as 
regards  these  native  habits.  At  a  general  invitation,  October  29,  the 
entertainment  was  held  in  two  connected  igloos.  In  one,  the  women 
sat  Turk-fashion  on  a  snow-bench  bed,  around  a  huge  pile  of  raw 
frozen  venison  and  tood-noo  (reindeer  fat) ;  in  the  other,  the  men 
crowded  close  together,  the  snow-walls  of  both  echoing  with  the  Babel 
of  tongues  and  laughter.  To  begin  the  feast,  a  large  piece  of  venison, 
held  between  the  teeth  of  one  of  the  parties,  was  sawed  off  by  the 
knife  close  to  his  nose,  stuffing  his  mouth  full ;  the  main  piece  was 
then  passed  around  for  the  same  process  by  each,  and  the  tood-noo  fol- 
lowed suit.  Then  from  a  dish  of  reindeer  heads  >and  necks,  boiled  in 
the  blood,  each  guest  took  a  sup  till  all  was  gone ;  and  when  the 
women  of  the  igloo  had  licked  the  pot  clean,  and  stuffed  the  children 
to  suffocation,  each  one  scraped  the  grease  from  his  face  into  his  moutli, 
and  licked  his  fingers.  A  self-adaptation  to  such  habits,  prolonged, 
too,  through  the  period  of  the  five  years,  seems  explicable  only  in  con- 
nection with  Hall's  own  statement,  that  to  keep  his  health  and  accom- 
plish anything,  he  must  live  like  this  people.  He  exchanged  frequent 
visits,  and  soon  ate,  drank,  and  slept  as  did  the  natives,  and  he 
wrote  that  the  stronger  the  venison,  even  if  putrid,  the  better  he  rel- 
ished it.     The  immense  quantity  of  food  swallowed  by  the  Iiiiuiit  at 


216  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

the  feasts,  which  usually  follow  their  privations  of  the  season,  were  no 
matters  of  surprise.  Like  all  rude  tribes,  they  were  provident  during 
the  open  season,  but  in  a  time  of  enjoyment  excessively  and  thought- 
lessly wasteful.  In  the  month  of  September,  Hall  thought  they  had 
several  hundred  reindeer  cached  within  a  circle  of  twenty  miles  in 
diameter,  but  before  December  closed  scarcity  had  begun  to  set  in. 

More  than  one  occasion  was  found  for  the  superstitious  business 
of  An-koo-ting.  On  one  of  these  the  An-ge-ko  (Artooa)  entered  the 
crowded  igloo  with  three  men  and  an  old  woman,  asking  immediately  that 


GAME  OF   CUP  AND   BALL. 

(Learned  probably  from  the  Whalers.)  —  Smithsonian  Institution. 

the  light  at  the  table  where  Hall  was  seated  to  take  notes,  should  be  put 

out ;  the  wick  of  the  lamp  was  then  thumbed  down,  giving  just  light 

* 
enough  to  make  the  scene  gloomy  and  cold.     Then  taking  off  his  boots 

and  standing  on  the  bed-place,  he  made  a  speech  of  about  ten  minutes, 
his  hoarse  voice  at  times  shaking  the  dome,  and  contrasting  strongly 
with  the  musical  voice  of  the  women  and  with  Joe's  crying  out  from 
time  to  time,  atee^  atee,  good,  good,  go  on.  Among  the  antics  he  dis- 
played, he  grappled  with  two  of  the  strongest  Innuits,  throwing  them 
with  seemingly  supernatural  strength.  The  chant  was  low  and  monot- 
onous, while  the  grim,  swarthy  faces  of  the  audience,  spectrally  illumi- 
nated by  fitful  beams  of  the  lamp,  and  their  dark  bodies  swaying  awk- 


INNUIT  AMUSEMENTS. 


217 


wardly  to  and  fro  and  keeping  time  with  the  barbarous  music,  made  up 
a  wild  and  unearthly  scene.  Not  one  of  the  natives  were  free  from  the 
influence  of  the  rite,  Joe  and  Hannah  not  excepted.  The  tribe  showed 
the  natural  love  of  amusement,  —  checkers,  dominoes,  and  the  cup  and 
ball  being  their  favorite  games. 

A  serio-comic  diversion  was  their  performance  on  the  Key-low-tik, 
the  only  musical  instrument  found  among  them.  The  drum  is  made  of 
a  piece  of  deerskin  stretched  over  a  hoop  made  of  wood  or  bone  from 
the  fin  of  a  whale,  by  the  use  of  a  strong  braided  cord  of  sinew  passed 
around  a  groove  on  the  outside.  The  instrument  weighs  about  four 
pounds.  The  Ken-toon  or  wood- 
en drumstick  is  ten  inches  long, 
and  three  in  diameter. 

"When  the  Key-low-tik  is 
played  the  performer  holds  the 
drum  liandle  in  the  left  hand, 
and  strikes  the  edge  of  the  rim 
opposite  to  that  over  which  the 
skin  is  stretched.  He  holds  the 
drum  in  different  positions,  but 
keeps  it  in  a  constant  fan-like 
motion  by  his  hand  and  by  the  blows  of  the  Ken-toon^  struck  alter- 
nately on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  edge.  Skilfully  keeping  the  drum 
vibrating  on  the  handle,  he  accompanies  this  with  grotesque  motions 
of  the  body,  and  at  intervals  with  a  song,  while  the  women  keep  up 
their  own  Innuit  songs,  one  after  another,  through  the  whole  per- 
formance. 

At  the  first  exhibition  which  Hall  witnessed  some  twenty-five  men, 
women,  and  children — all  who  could  leave  home — assembled  to  see 
the  skill  of  the  performers  who  would  try  the  newly-finished  instrument. 
As  usual  the  women  sat  on  the  platform,  Turk  fashion ;  the  men,  be- 
hind them,  with  extended  legs.  The  women  were  gayl}-  dressed.  They 
wore  on  each  side  the  face  an  enormous  pig-tail,  made  b}'^  wrapping 
their  hair  on  a  small  wooden  roller  a  foot  in  length,  strips  of  reindeer 
fur  being  wrapped   with  the  hair.     These  were  black   and  white  for 


KEY-LOW-TIK  AND  KEN-TOON. 


218  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

those  who  had  sons,  and  black  only  for  those  who  had  none.  Shining 
ornaments  were  worn  on  the  head,  and  on  the  breast  they  had  Masonic- 
like  aprons,  the  groundwork  of  which  was  of  a  flaming  red  color,  orna- 
mented with  glass  beads  of  many  colors.  The  women  thus  presented 
a  pleasing  contrast  with  the  dark  visages  of  the  men  in  the  background ; 
while  their  naked  infants  were  playing  here  and  there  in  a  mother's  lap 
or  peering  out  from  their  nestling-place  in  the  hood. 

Ook-bar-loo,  Jr.,  was  the  first  performer.  This  young  man  was  a 
son  of  Ever-at,  named  in  Parry's  narrative  of  his  second  voyage  as 
helping  to  draw  one  of  his  charts.  When  he  tired,  the  women  struck 
up  a  song  for  the  second  performer ;  then  stripping  off  their  jackets  to 
be  naked  from  their  loins  up,  the  men  alternately  dealt  each  other's  arms 
such  fearful  blows  that  Hall  thought  their  very  bones  must  be  broken, 
and  seemed  to  feel  his  own  shoulders  ache.  The  one  who  had  played 
the  Key-low-tik  the  longer,  now  struck  his  blows  without  mittens,  and 
Ook-bar-loo  ere  long  gave  signs  of  surrender.  The  times  varied  from 
ten  to  thirteen  minutes  each. 

Ar-too-a,  Ar-mou,  and  Ou-e-la  followed  as  performers  at  short  intervals, 
one  of  them  making  as  high  as  one  hundred  and  sixty  strokes  in  a  minute 
with  the  Ken-toon ;  when  Nu-ker-zhoo,  getting  his  hand  under  the  Key- 
low-tik,  and  dealing  rapid  blows  first  on  one  edge  and  then  on  the  other, 
by  this  jugglery  kept  it  vibrating  in  the  air,  and  brought  out  from  it  the 
same  sounds  as  when  played  in  the  usual  way.  Hall,  being  then  called 
out  by  the  house,  tried  his  hand,  but  in  less  than  three  minutes  the 
Key-low-tik  was  on  the  floor,  his  arm  and  wrist  aching  from  the  weight, 
and  the  whole  igloo  convulsed  with  laughter.  Joe  was  called  for,  but 
was  too  weak  from  recent  sickness  to  perform.  Before  this  part  of  the 
exhibition  closed,  the  performers  showed  up  the  differences  in  playing 
as  practised  by  the  neighboring  tribes. 

The  meeting  now  changed  its  character.  Ook-bar-loo,  when  he  re- 
sumed playing,  instantly  extinguished  the  lights,  leaving  only  the  dim 
moon  to  creep  in  through  the  fresh-water  ice  window  of  the  igloo.  He 
then  commenced  his  talk  with  the  spirits,  accompanied  by  clapping  of 
hands,  jumping  up  and  down,  sideways  and  forward,  and  then  backing 
out  from  the  igloo  and  returning.     During  all  this  an-koo-ting  one  and 


HALL  AN-KOO-TED. 


219 


another  of  the  audience  kept  repeating  "  words  which  seemed  not  un- 
like those  of  a  penitent  giving  in  his  experience  at  a  revival  meeting." 
The  entry  into  new  igloos  in  November  was  celebrated  by  like  per- 
formances. The  An-ge-ko  made  use  of  three  walrus  spears,  one  of 
which  he  thrust  into  the  wall  of  the  snow-house,  and  then  having  a 


PLAYING   THE    KEY-LOW-TIK. 

wrestling  match  with  four  men  on  the  outside,  and  coming  again  into 
the  central  igloo,  he  commanded  the  lamps  to  be  relit,  and  showed  the 
points  of  his  spear  covered  with  blood.  This  he  licked  off  and  then 
began  his  incantations,  addressing  first,  with  head  erect,  the  great 
Power  above,  and  then  with  his  head  on  the  floor  the  spirit  below. 

In  a  time  of  sickness,  in  which  Hall  suffered  from  the  breaking  out 
of  boils,  he  had  been  prevailed  on  to  be  himself  an-koo-ted^  and  had  con- 
sented to  obey  the  An-ge-ko's  order  that  he  should  never  again  wear 


220 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 


certain  garments,  but  should  burn  them.  So  far  as  a  consenting  to  like 
seemingly  harmless  decrees  his  notes  show  that  he  subjected  himself  to 
their  wishes.  When  he  had  expressed  a  desire  for  a  change  of  food  from 
walrus-meat,  he  received  the  solid  frozen  head  and  neck  of  a  reindeer ;  but 
as  to  put  this  on  the  floor,  or  among  the  other  kinds  of  meat  on  the 
platform  would  have  prevented  the  catching  of  another  walrus  through- 
out the  year,  or,  perhaps,  of  taking  any  more,  he  had  to  cut  this  up, 
watching  closely  that  every  chip  flew  westward  and  not  one  on  the  floor, 
and  he  then  ate  it  soaked  in  rancid  and  stinking  seal-oil,  Innuit  customs 


SEK-KOONS. 
Skin-scrapers,  half  size,  deposited  at  the  Smithsonian. 


forbidding  the  use  of  any  other.  The  neck  only  could  be  used,  not  the 
head  until  after  the  walrus  season ;  still  he  said  that  he  had  gotten 
so  far  along  in  Innuit  taste  as  to  like  this  very  much ;  but  a  very 
short  time  after,  on  receiving  seasonable  supplies  from  the  whaling 
ship,  he  wrote  :  "What  a  glorious  supper  we  had  to-night.  A  change 
now  and  then  in  his  food  is  what  a  white  man  likes.  Even  an  Innuit 
loves  civilization  food." 

A  more  pleasing  experience  was  that  of  observing  the  Innuit  prepar- 
ation of  the  reindeer  skins  for  dresses  and  bed-coverings ;  in  this  the 
women  assisted  the  men.  The  processes  were,  first  to  scrape  the  skin 
by  an  instrument  called  sek-koon,  a  rough  tool  about  six  inches  long 
including  the  handle,  made  of  a  peculiar  kind  of  whet  or  oil  stone, 


A   WALKUS-HUNT.  221 

or  else  of  a  musk-ox  or  reindeer  bone,  or  of  sheet-iron.  The  second 
step  is  to  dry  the  skins  thoroughlj' ;  the  third  to  scrape  again  with 
sek-koons,  taking  off  every  bit  of  the  flesh ;  the  fourth  to  wet  the  flesh 
side  and  wrap  it  up  for  thirty  minutes,  and  then  again  scrape  with  the 
sek-koon  ;  which  last  operation  is  followed  by  chewing  the  skin  all  over, 
and  again  scraping  and  cross-scraping  with  the  instrument.  These 
laborious  processes  Hall  describes  as  resulting  "  in  the  breaking  of  the 
skin,  making  the  stiff  hide  soft-finished  like  the  chamois-skin."  The 
whole  work  is  often  completed  within  an  hour. 

The  following  account  of  a  walrus-hunt  is  one  of  several  like  notices, 
largely  condensed  from  the  journals :  — 

At  eight  in  the  morning  Hall  left  his  igloo,  leading  by  a  ^ong  trace- 
line  one  of  the  large  dogs  which  were  to  be  emplo/ed  in  dragging  the 
walrus  home ;  several  other  dogs  were  led  by  the  Innuits,  but  by  far 
the  larger  number  were  allowed  to  run  loose,  preceding  or  following 
the  hunters.  The  distance  to  the  walrus-grounds  had  been  for  some 
time  constantly  increasing  as  the  land-floe  widened,  and  the  animals, 
accordingly,  shifted  their  feeding-grounds  to  the  new  ice  or  to  the 
fissures  near  its  edge.  Having  crossed  the  half-mile  belt  of  very  rough 
ice  near  the  coast,  and  advanced  about  six  miles,  Hall  came  to  this 
edge.  A  breeze  from  the  north  was  drawing  the  floe  to  the  southward 
at  the  speed  of  a  quick  walk,  and  as  it  pressed  heavily  on  the  edge  of  the 
fixed  ice,  the  noise  was  so  terrible  that  he  was  at  times  forced  to  draw 
himself  back  several  paces  from  the  point  to  which  he  had  ventured. 
For  scores  of  miles  to  the  north  and  south,  the  drifting  floe  w^s  grind- 
ing its  uneven  face  against  the  firm  but  jagged  front  on  which  he  stood. 
Mounting  a  high  ridge,  he  saw,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  seaward 
and  up  and  down  the  Welcome,  a  boundless  field  slowly  moving  on- 
ward toward  the  south,  but  crushing  to  atoms  miles  and  miles  of  mass- 
ive ice ;  now  rearing  up  mountains  on  mountains,  now  ploughing  up 
acres  into  high  ridges. 

Ou-e-la,  who  had  joined  him,  was  unable  to  reach  a  large  walrus, 
which  rose  in  a  small  water  space  five  fathoms  off,  for  the  "squeezed, 
rolling,  craunching  mass  "  was  working  between  the  floes.  He  gave  a 
quick  signal  to  those  on  the  drifting  floe,  and  Ar-mou  and  Ar-too-a  ran 


222  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

rapidly  toward  the  walrus ;  bat  just  as  Ar-mou  had  his  harpoon  raised, 
the  animal  disappeared  in  the  water.  Hall  and  Ou-e-la  then  directed 
their  steps  toward  the  loose  pack  which  the  others  had  already  gained, 
to  reach  which  the  sharp  eye  of  the  Innuit  quickly  discovered  the  only 
possible  crossing.  A  quick  run,  a  few  steps  over  sludge  and  powdered 
ice,  a  leap  from  this  tmnbling  block  to  that  one,  and  a  final  leap  to  the 
driving  floe,  brought  the  two  safely  over.  Walruses  could  now  be 
seen  in  every  direction ;  some  butting  up  ice  fragments  from  the  solid 
main  ;  some  with  their  heads  through  the  butted  holes ;  some  with  a 
large  part  of  the  body  above  the  ice.  The  hunters  were  busily  at  work. 
In  one  direction  two  Innuits  were  under  full  run  for  the  same  blowing 
walrus,  the  dogs  running  around  them.  All  at  once  these  hunters 
stopped,  for  the  animal  had  taken  the  alarm  and  gone  down.  In  an- 
other direction  an  excited  group  were  seen,  one  throwing  the  lance, 
another  holding  on  a  line,  one  jumping  this  way  and  another  that,  — 
for  a  walrus  appeared  to  be  a  secured  prize.  With  some  difficulty  Hall 
gained  this  spot,  but  found  only  one  Innuit  remaining,  while  the  red- 
dened ice  and  the  hole  showed  a  severe  conflict.  Shoo-she-ark-nook 
had  harpooned  a  very  large  walrus,  and  he  and  Ebierbing  (Joe)  had 
lanced  it  until  it  was  almost  dead.  The  harpoon,  however,  slipped  out 
and  the  animal  escaped,  Joe  losing  his  lance-head. 

An  extensive  floe  of  the  "  walrusing  ice  "  was  now  seen  shooting 
over  the  ice  on  which  they  stood,  and  advancing  from  the  north  at  the 
speed  of  a  moderate  walk ;  its  thickness  was  two  inches,  the  same  as 
that  on  which  they  stood.  They  were  two  miles  from  the  land-floe, 
upon  ice  which  bent  like  leather  at  every  step,  often  yielding  two  or 
three  inches  without  a  fracture,  and  it  would  not  do  to  remain  at  rest 
on  such  ice.  They  were  compelled  to  be  constantly  in  motion  as  the 
situation  demanded. 

Hall  hastened  to  a  second  group  of  Innuits,  who  were  as  busily  occu- 
pied as  the  first,  and  in  a  few  moments  found  himself  pulling  away  with 
others  on  a  line  which  was  fast  to  a  large  walrus.  After  a  few  pulls, 
the  half-killed  animal  came  up  in  a  flouncing,  tumbling  way.  He  was 
furiously  mad,  for  he  had  not  only  been  harpooned  but  lanced  and  lanced 
again  and  again,  so  that  at  every  blow,  quarts  of  thick  dark  blood  were 


HALL  S   SIGHT   OF   A    WALRUS. 


223 


thrown  up,  scattering  itself  about,  painting  the  ice,  the  dogs,  and  the 
party  with  a  crimson  hue.     Looking  on  the  scene,  Hall  wrote :  — 


A  WALULS-liUNT. 


"What  a  horrible-looking  creature  a  walrus  is,  especially  in  the  face  ! 
It  looks  wicked,  detestably  bad.  Indeed,  a  devil  could  not  have  a  more 
repulsive  look  to  Turk  or  Christian.  A  hard  death  did  this  one  die. 
He  fought  desperately,  but  steel  and  sinewy  arms,  under  the  control  of 


224 


AMERICAK  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 


cool  courageous  hearts,  finally  conquered.  As  often  as  he  came  up  to 
blow,  he  was  met  by  the  lance  of  the  harpooner,  who  thrust  it  quick 
and  deep  into  the  heart  and  churned  away  until  the  walrus  withdrew 
by  diving  under  the  ice  and  flippering  away  to  the  length  of  the  line. 
Then,  at  each  new  appearance,  he  would  fasten  his  long  ivory  tusk 
(one  had  been  broken  off,  probably  in  some  fight)  upon  the  edge  of  the 
ice,  and  turning  his  eyes  around  would  spend  his  fury  on  the  first  of  his 
enemies  who  approached.     He  then  again  flippered  back,  and,  as  the 

uplifted  lance  was  poised,  moved  violently 
forward  and  upward,  throwing  forward 
his  head  with  a  circling  sweep,  as  if  to 
drive  his  tusk  to  the  very  heart  of  his 
assailant. 

"  What  a  terrible  blow  a  walrus  can  deal 
with  his  head  and  tusks !  When  he  came 
up  to  breathe,  which  he  did  several  times 
through  different  holes,  resting  with  his 
tusk  hooked  on  to  the  edge  of  the  ice,  at 
every  breathing  he  expelled  through  his 
white-walled  mouth  a  frightful  stream  of 
hot  life-blood,  and  as  the  hungry  dogs 
rushed  up  fearlessly  to  the  very  fountain 
whence  the  luscious,  savory  gore  issued, 
the  dying  walrus  quickly  raised  his  head 
and  struck  it  forward  with  tremendous 
force,  though  to  little  purpose,  as  the  dogs  were  too  quick  dodging 
the  blows.  Shoo-she-ark-nook  at  last  cut  a  gash  in  the  neck  with  his 
peloud  (long  knife)  and  thrust  the  point  into  the  very  marrow  of  the 
spine." 

Afresh  opening  was.  now  made  in  the  ice,  and  to  this  the  carcass 
was  towed.  Then  the  line  made  fast  to  the  tough  skin  on  the  nose 
was  taken  to  the  point  of  the  hummock  five  fathoms  distant,  and  back 
again  through  a  hole  in  the  same  tough  skin.  With  this  purchase,  five 
of  the  party  pulled  away  on  the  line,  gradually  sliding  the  carcass  upon 
the  ice.     It  weighed  about  two  thousand  two  hundred  pounds. 


A  WALRUS  HEAD. 


From  the  shipping-house  ofWilliams  &  Haven, 
*  New  London. 


NEW  year's  day.  225 

This  done,  each  Innuit  sprang  to  the  task  of  cutting  open  the  car- 
cass from  head  to  tail,  that  it  might  cover  as  large  an  area  as  possible 
on  the  ice;  yet  the  moment  they  commenced  to  haul  up,  the  ice  began 
to  bend,  and  by  the  time  the  walrus  was  disembowelled,  the  water  cov- 
ered it  six  inches  deep.  He  was  now  cut  up,  longitudinally,  into  three 
parts^  without  being  skinned,  and  while  this  cutting  was  going  on,  the 
dogs  acted  like  so  many  devils,  and  it  was  impossible,  even  with  a  spear, 
to  keep  them  away  from  the  blood  and  flesh.  The  backbone,  the  lights, 
and  a  small  portion  of  the  entrails  only  were  thrown  away.  The  edges 
of  the  longitudinal  parts  were  then  placed  together  by  lines,  to  give 
each  mass  a  rounded  shape. 

The  paunch  accidentally  fell  in  the  water,  disappointing  Hall,  who 
was  thinking  of  a  clam-feast.  He  had  expected  to  find  th^e  paunch  well 
filled,  as  usual,  with  clams,  clean  of  their  shells,  and  says  that  rarely  is 
any  part  of  a  shell  larger  than  a  dime  found  witliin  the  animal.  Hav- 
ing often  picked  up  a  single  shell  close  by  a  walrus-hole,  he  believed 
that  the  habit  of  the  animal  is  to  dig  but  one  clam  at  a  time,  and 
then  come  up  to  blow  and  expel  the  shell.  He  wonders  how  it  opens 
the  clam  so  skilfully  as  not  to  fracture  the  shell. 

The  homeward  journe}'  was  attended  with  the  usual  troubles  in 
crossing  fissures  and  regaining  the  land-floe,  but  at  4.30  P.iSr.  the  i)arty 
reached  the  igloos.  The  dogs,  divided  into  three  teams,  drew  the  wal- 
rus-rolls, which  slid  along  over  the  rough  ice  more  readily  than  u  sled. 
The  supply  of  provisions  from  this  animal  and  from  the  reindeer 
deposits  visited  as  occasion  required,  sufficed  for  Hall  and  his  friends 
through  the  remainder  of  the  year. 

January  1,  1865,  was  a  day  of  gale  and  drift ;  the  day  following  Hall 
celebrated  as  New  Year's  Day.  He  hoisted  the  flag  on  his  own  igloo, 
and  set  a  table  for  his  native  guests,  twenty-five  feet  in  length  extend- 
ing into  the  huts  of  Ou-le-a,  Ar-mou,  and  Nu-ker-zhoo.  It  was  made  of 
sea-chests,  and  its  seats  were  snow-blocks  cushioned  with  deerskins. 
He  treated  to  vegetable  and  pemmican-soup,  and  sea-bread  with  coffee, 
isinglass  jelly,  and  raisins  for  dessert ;  and  his  twenty-one  grown 
persons,  when  rising  from  the  table,  put  their  hands  over  the  places 


226 


A]VIEEICAN    EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


where  they  had  stowed  the  good  things  and  cried  out  "  Good,  very 
good!  "  Giving  notice  through  Joe  that  he  had  a  speech  to  make,  he 
endeavored  to  impress  them  with  his  confidence  that  he  expected  them 
to  go  with  him  next  spring  to  Neit-chi-lle.  Too-koo-litoo  told  him  that 
they  were  all  much  pleased. 

But  within  a  few  days  he  had  reason  to  apprehend  that  his  confi- 
dence rested  on  a  frail  basis,  for  he  learned  that  the  larger  number  of 


NEW  YEAR'S  DAY  IGLOO. 
I,  entrance ;  II,  central  igloo  ;  B,  bed  platform;  F,  floor;  L,  lamp. 

this  people  were  expecting  to  visit  again  the  whalers  in  the  bay,  and 
remain  there  too  long  to  move  forward  seasonably  with  him  in  the 
spring.  His  journal  says,  "  Innuits  are  a  strange  people  to  deal  with ; 
a  white  man  to  get  along  with  them  must  have  the  patience  of  a  Job." 
He  must  go  down  himself  with  a  small  party  only  to  the  ships. 

Well  supplied  with  venison  and  walrus-meat  and  blubber  and  rein- 
deer furs  for  traffic,  his  party  of  seventeen  left  their  igloos  on  three 
sledges,  drawn  by  twenty-two  dogs,  the  thermometer  registering  72* 
below  freezing  point.      Following   mostly  the  southward  track  of  a 


IGLOO   BUILDING   OX   A  JOURNEY. 


227 


former  visiting  party,  they  spent  their  first  night  in  one  of  its  old 
igloos,  seventeen  miles  from  Noo-wook,  finding  it  necessary  first  to 
clear  out  the  snow-drifts  and  build  two  smaller  snow-huts. 

The  work  upon  these  is  thus  described :  "  While  one  of  Ou-e-la's 
wives  shovelled  out  the  snow-drift  from  the  main  hut,  the  other  in- 
creased the  thickness  of  its  walls  by  banking  up  more  snow  on  the 
outside.     Hall's  offered  assistance  to  the  women  in  this  work  of  using 


GROUND-PLAN  OF  IGLOO  BUILT  ON  A  JOURNEY. 

the  por-Mn  (snow-shovel)  was  refused  by  the  husband.  The  drift 
being  thrown  out  of  the  way,  Ou-e-la  then  entered  and  made  a  bed 
platform  on  each  side  of  the  igloo,  dividing  two  by  a  trench  a  foot  in 
depth. 

The  women  and  children  having  then  crowded  in,  made  up  the  beds 
by  spreading  over  the  platforms  their  furred  deerskins,  and  lit  the 
three  fire-lamps  to  melt  snow  for  the  thirsty.  The  men  on  entering 
carefully  beat  their  jackets  and  kodlin  (outside  breeches),  with  their 
arrotv-tars,  to  prevent  the  warmth  of  the  igloo  during  the  night  from 


228  A.MERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE    ICE   ZONES. 

melting  tlie  snow  upon  them  ;  for  if  it  again  froze  upon  tlieni  it  would 
make  the  garments  heavy  as  well  as  cold.  This  thorough  beating 
required  a  full  half  hour.  The  temperature  within  the  hut,  under  the 
influence  of  the  lamjjs  and  of  the  crowd,  quickly  rose  from  41°,  but 
was  again  lowered  by  the  venison  in  the  trench,  which,  when  first 
brought  in,  smoked  as  if  on  fire.  To  prevent  the  tongue  and  lips  from 
being  frozen  at  the  first  taste  of  the  meat,  it  was  held,  for  a  few  mo- 
ments in  mittened  hands,  and  breathed  upon,  the  children's  share  being 
kept  awhile  in  their  parents'  mouths.  At  9  p.m.  the  whole  party 
huddled  together  for  the  night,  some  compelled  to  sit  upright  through 
the  long  hours  of  sleep.  Seventeen  breathers  were  sealed  up,  with  a 
large  snow-block,  in  a  hut  but  ten  feet  in  diameter !  On  opposite  sides- 
of  the  trench,  nine  were  on  the  platform  and  eight  on  the  other  ;  every 


AKKOWTAK,  SNOW-BEATKK. 

one,  Innuit  fashion,  having  the  head  toward  the  trench.  In  the  morn- 
ing, between  the  hours  of  three  and  four,  the  men  waked,  ate  a  quantity 
of  deer-meat,  smoked,  and  again  went  to  sleep.  At  five,  the  whole 
party  were  amused  to  find  that  the  lamp-smoke  had  covered  them 
with  soot.  Hall  waked  with  "  a  severe  headache  from  the  excess  of 
carbonic  acid  gas,  generated  by  the  three  fire-lights  and  seventeen 
people."  At  the  close  of  a  second  day's  journey  of  twenty-six  miles,  in 
the  igloo  next  built,  slabs  of  frozen  walrus-hide  were  hung  on  spears 
crosswise  near  the  top  of  the  hut,  and  from  these  slabs,  partially  thawed 
by  the  fire-lamps,  the  dogs  were  fed.  On  the  evening  of  the  sixth  day» 
a  welcoming  signal  from  the  mast  of  the  "  Monticello  "  caught  the  eye. 
A  month  was  now  spent  willingly  among  the  officers  and  crews  of 
this  whaler  and  those  of  four  others  anchored  near.  The  natives  relish- 
ing their  stay  yet  the  more,  left  Hall  but  half  his  number  of  helpers 
for  his  return  to  Noo-wook ;  he  had  failed  to  get  the  promise  of  a  dog- 
team  for  his  spring  journey,  and  on  his  return  trip  he  was  limited  by 
his  native  friend  the  guide  and  sled-owner,  to  the  unpalatable  food  of 


COLD   AND   HUNGER.  229 

the  walrus-hide.  The  same  native,  Shoo-she-ark-nook,  also  showed  signs 
of  insincere  dealing,  in  his  attempted  persuasions  to  his  companions  to 
leave  the  white  man,  and  in  his  appropriating  to  his  own  use  some 
articles  from  Hall's  igloo.  Confidence  could  not  well  be  maintained, 
and  yet  the  kodluna  was  wholly  dependent  on  this  uncertain  people. 

The  severity  of  the  cold,  and  the  consequent  shortening  of  pro- 
visions, now  began  to  prove  very  serious.  Seal-hunts  were  rarely 
successful,  and  the  want  of  blubber  for  light  and  heat  gave  great 
uneasiness.  The  journal  of  March  1-1  says :  "  How  cheerless  is  our 
igloo  I  The  moss-wick  of  our  lamp,  which,  when  we  have  our  full 
supply  of  blubber,  gives  a  continuity  of  flame  of  two  feet  six  inches, 
is  narrowed  down  to  a  simple  wick-point,  and  makes  tlie  gloom  more 
dismal  than  total  darkness.  Long  and  cast-down  faces  are  now  faintly 
seen,  that  otherwise  would  be  veiled  from  us.  Our  huts  are  sad,  our 
voices  almost  hushed  I  But  away,  away,  thou  fiend  of  Despair !  This 
is  no  home  for  you.  We  are  the  children  of  Hope,  Prayer,  and  Work. 
God  is  our  Father,  and  better  times  will  come."  They  came  in  the 
beginning  of  May  only,  when,  after  nine  weary  mouths  from  the  time 
of  his  first  landing.  Hall  found  himself  encamped  on  the  Wager  River, 
on  whicli  he  had  hoped  to  be  set  ashore  from  the  whalers.  The  last 
days  of  April  had  i)ut  his  party  into  huts,  on  the  ice  of  the  river  in 
lat.  65°  19'.  The  temperature  was  still  as  low  as  42°  below  freezing 
point. 

But  sealing  now  began  to  be  successful.  Nu-ker-zhoo  with  one 
stroke  harpooned  a  mother  and  her  pup ;  five  more  seals  were  the  next 
prize ;  and  Hall,  amid  the  congratulations  of  the  natives,  made  his 
own  first  capture.  He  had  learned  some  of  the  Innuit  stratagems,  and 
with  their  help  put  them  in  play.  Going  out  with  Nu-ker-zhoo  on  liis 
hunt,  he  had  watched  for  some  hours  with  him,  and  afterwards  on 
another  hunt  with  Ebierbing.  Nu-ker-zhoo's  watch  was  a  marked  one. 
At  a  seal-hole  three  miles  out  from  the  shore,  where  he  had  discovered 
a  seal-hole,  he  had  built  for  his  jnotection  from  the  wind  a  snow- 
wall,  five  feet  in  diameter  and  five  feet  hisfh  on  the  north.  —  a  foot 
and  a  half  only  on  the  south.  Into  this  hole  he  ran  a  whalel)one  rod, 
which,  by  striking  ice,  showed  that  some  time  had  passed  since  the 


230 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


seal  had  been  there ;  drawing  out  the  rod  and  smelling  it,  he  whis- 
pered, "■tepid"  (stink-bull  seal).  Returning  the  rod  to  the  same  little 
hole,  he  carefully  scraped  the  snow  from  around  the  rod,  so  as  to 
leave  only  about  six  inches  above  the  seal-hole,  and  then  drew  out  the 
rod,  and  placed  the  end  of  the  wood-part  of  his  oo-nar  directly  over 
the  rod-hole.  Holding  this  perpendicularly  with  one  hand,  he  used  the 
other  in  packing  snow  around  it  till  he  had  returned  the  ten  inches  of 

snow  over  the  seal-hole  which 
he  had  scraped  away.  Then  the 
spear-handle  was  lifted  up  gent- 
ly, which  left  an  inch-square 
hole ;  which  was  to  be  his  mark 
and  guide  for  his  harpoon  in 
striking  the  seal  as  soon  as  he 
should  hear  it.  He  then  ran  the 
little  rod  down  through  the 
dome  of  the  seal's  house  (or,  as 
it  may  be  called,  agloo,  for  it  is 
really  a  small  snow-hut),  to  de- 
termine the  depth  of  the  snow 
over  it ;  for  it  was  on  this  his 
feet  were  to  rest  while  watching. 
Expecting  to  spend  the  whole 
night  in  silence,  he  threw  down 
a  piece  of  furred  deerskin  for 
a  cushion,  preventing  also  the 
slightest  noise  from  liis  move- 
ments ;  to  keep  his  feet  warm 
and  close  together,  he  drew  on  a  short  bag  of  reindeer  skin,  fur  inside, 
and  tied  his  legs  together,  and  wrapped  his  frock-tail  close  around  him. 
His  oo-nar^  with  harpoon  and  line,  were  placed  on  two  pegs  a  little  in 
advance,  so  that  when  bending  forward  he  could  touch  his  spear.  With 
these  quiet  preparations  he  bade  Hall  good-night,  saying  that  by  his  leav- 
ing the  agloo  the  seal  would  think  no  one  was  left  behind.  His  precau- 
tions were  not  useless,  for  he  had  failed  in  a  previous  watch  just  when 


EBIERBING  (JOE)  GOING  OUT  SEAL-HUNTING. 


APPKOACH   OF   SUMMER.  231 

about  to  strike  his  prize,  the  wary  seal  being  frightened  off  by  the 
fall  of  a  mitten  from  his  belt. 

On  Ebierbing's  watch,  he  had  cut  down  into  the  snow  to  satisfy 
himself  by  repeated  smellings  that  the  seal  had  been  there,  and  then 
he  scraped  away  the  outside  snow  down  to  the  thin  icy  crust,  the  seal's 
breathing-hole.  Making  then  a  central  downward  cut,  and  removing 
from  it  a  solitary  hair  from  his  outer  frock,  lest  the  seal  should  "  smell 
him  quick,"  he  set  up  over  the  hole  a  snow-block,  of  which  about  three 
inches  was  above  the  snow,  for  a  mark  for  his  harpoon,^  and  passed 
the  watch  of  a  whole  night,  —  not  an  unusual  length  of  waiting,  for  at 
times  he  had  passed  from  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours  on  such 
weary  work. 

Hall's  watch  was,  happily  for  him,  that  of  an  hour  only.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  telling  blow  with  the  spear,  and  in  holding  on  to 
his  line  until  the  seal,  on  coming  up  to  blow,  was  despatched  by  Nu- 
ker-zhoo's  long  knife.  Hall  was  the  first  white  man  who  had  caught  a 
seal  in  that  country. 

The  first  fish  caught  by  a  new  hand,  the  first  one  of  the  season 
caught  by  watching  over  an  ice-hole,  and  the  first  caught  in  open 
water,  are  times  of  joyous  demonstrations,  in  which  usually  all  share 
except  those  who  have  been  afflicted  by  death  in  their  families  during 
the  year.  Before  the  middle  of  May  as  many  as  ten  were  taken  in  one 
day,  and  almost  entirely  devoured  as  fast  as  brought  in.  Of  the  qual- 
ity and  effects  of  the  meat  Hall  remarks,  that  to  live  upon  it  alone  is 
excessively  constipating  on  the  white  man,  old  walrus-meat  affecting 
the  system  much  in  the  same  way.  Too-koo-litoo  thought  that  the 
reason  the  Innuits  of  that  region  were  so  dark-colored  was  their  eating 
so  much  raw  seal-meat  and  blood.  It  seems,  indeed,  surprising  that 
they  can  so  readily  make  way  with  such  huge  quantities  of  animals, 
weighing  each  two  hundred  pounds  and  upwards. 

The  first  five  days  of  June  were  in  marked  contrast  with  the  spring 
months.  The  rapid  advance  of  the  warm  season  had  required  a  change 
from  the  snow-huts  to  the  tupiks  (skin-tents),  whicli  were  set  up  on  an 
island  along  the  shore  of  the  Wager.     The  deserted  Kommongs,  or 


232  AMEKICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IK  THE  ICE   ZONES. 

half-snow-houses,  had  become  untenantable  by  the  snow-drippings,  and 
^  the  remains,  when  broken  down,  presented  a  strong  contrast  to  the 
beautiful  arched  and  solid  domes  spoken  of  by  Hall  in  the  previous 
autumn.* 

The  summer  months  of  1865  were  spent  by  the  natives  in  securing 
the  game  for  their  subsistence  during  the  coming  winter,  the  suc- 
cessful hunts  of  July  alone  footing  up  twelve  seals,  nine  ook-gooks, 
thirty-seven  deer,  a  bear,  and  some  ducks.  Compelled  to  await  even 
through  another  winter  his  chances  of  moving  westward  toward  King 
William  Land,  Hall's  chief  occupation  was  limited  to  such  observa- 
tions for  the  coast-lines  of  the  Bay  as  his  instruments  permitted  him 
to  make.  He  had  further  opportunities  of  witnessing  the  native  ways 
of  making  use  of  the  seal,  the  walrus,  and  the  deer  for  food,  and  in 
the  manufacture  of  useful  things.  For  making  lines  from  the  skin  of 
the  ook-gook  for  uses  in  the  hunt,  the  Innuits  cut  the  skin  into  long 
strips,  which  they  stretched  between  the  rocks  by  a  block  and  tackle 
which  they  obtained  from  the  whalers;  these  strips,  made  soft  and 
pliable  by  rubbing  and  chewing,  were  very  strong  for  sledge  trac- 
ings and  lashings  and  for  securing  a  walrus. 

To  save  the  blubber  of  the  seals  for  deposit  for  winter  use  in  a 
eache^  the  natives  stored  it  in  seal-skin  drugs  (bags)  made  from  the 
skin  of  the  animal,  unbroken  except  by  a  small  opening  about  the 
head.  To  get  the  blubber  out,  the  knife  was  thrust  in  longitudinally, 
to  separate  it  from  the  skin,  the  fore-flipper  was  jointed,  and  the  seal 
then  worked  out  by  the  hole  made  at  the  head. 

When  making  the  deposits  of  the  reindeer,  the  custom  is  to  place 
upon  and  around  the  carcass  the  head,  legs,  shoulders  and  saddle,  cov- 
ering the  whole  with  a  heavy  pile  of  stones.     When  this  is  done,  as  is 

*  Captain  Lyon,  in  his  Journal  of  Parry's  Second  Voyage,  1821-23,  says  of  a  like 
scene;  "I  had  several  times,  in  my  rambles  through  the  world,  seen  huts  which  I 
imagined  could  not  be  equalled  in  wretchedness  of  appearance;  but  I  was  yet  to  learn 
that  of  all  miserable  places  on  earth,  a  snow  village,  recently  deserted,  is  the  most 
gloomy.  .  .  .  The  roofs  melted  into  icicles  and  coated  with  smoke;  arches  broken  and 
falling  from  decay;  the  snow  seats,  floors,  and  partitions  covered  with  every  kind  of  filth 
and  rubbish — bones,  broken  utensils,  and  scraps  of  skins  —  form  altogether  the  most 
deplorable  picture,  while  the  general  air  of  misery  is  augmented  tenfold  by  the  strong 
glare  of  light  which  shoots  through  a  hole  once  occupied  by  a  window." 


A   WHALE  CAUGHT. 


233 


usual,  in  the  later  part  of  the  season,  the  whole  mass  soon  becomes  so 
solid  with  ice,  that  it  can  be  opened  only  with  great  force,  the  natives 
using  for  this  purpose  heavy  wedge-shaped  stones. 

The  first  opportunity  now  offered  itself  for  the  successful  issue  of 
one  of  the  important  elements  in  the  original  plan  presented  to  the 
friends   of  the   expedition   in    New  York    in   1862  —  the    capture   of 


CAPTURING  A  WHALE. 

whales,  which  would  repay  in  part  the  advances  made  for  the  outfit. 
After  a  number  of  cruises  in  the  boats  without  being  able  to  come 
(piite  within  striking  distance,  August  30,  Hall  was  congratulated  by 
all  his  Innuit  friends  for  the  success  of  the  day.  With  liis  j)arty  of 
men  and  boys  he  left  the  tupiks  at  four  a.m.  to  hunt  a  whale  which  h.ul 
been  for  some  time  previous  blowing  around.  His  boats,  the  "Sylvia" 
and  the  "Lady  Franklin,"  gave  swift  chase  to  the  westward,  but  after 
an  hour's  cruise,  during  which  tlie  whale  made  several  risings,  they 
were  unable  to  get  close  enough,  althougli  they  came  almost  upon  it 


234  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

when  rowing  from  an  opposite  direction  around  an  islet.  A  second 
whale  was,  however,  almost  immediately  seen  half  a  mile  to  the  south- 
west, when  the  sails  were  quickly  set,  and  paddles  and  oars  vigorously 
plied  by  the  crews  of  both  boats,  "  each  of  which  ran  down  the  leg  of 
a  V,  the  whale  at  its  joining  point."  Ou-e-la,  from  the  bow  of  the 
"Lady  Franklin,"  which  reached  the  goal  a  few  seconds  before  the 
"  Sylvia,"  threw  a  whale's  harpoon,  to  which  was  attached  a  line  of 
twenty  fathoms,  having  at  its  end  two  drugs  (floats).  One  of  these 
was  the  forward  part  of  an  ook-gook  skin,  the  covering  of  the  head  and 
flippers  being  as  entire  as  when  upon  the  living  animal,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  transverse  seam  ;  the  other  was  the  entire  skin  of  a  neit- 
yuk.  Both  were  filled  with  air,  compressed  by  the  stout  lungs  of  an 
Innuit.  Their  double  object  was  to  indicate  where  the  whale  was  and 
to  tire  it  down.  When  Ou-e-la's  iron  struck  into  the  back  of  the 
whale,  it  gave  one  slap  of  its  flukes,  and  went  below  the  white,  seeth- 
ing waters,  at  first  disappointing  Hall,  who  thought  it  was  now  lost ; 
he  had  furnished  Ou-e-la  on  setting  out  with  a  full  length  of  line,  and 
was  not  acquainted  with  this  Innuit  use  of  floats.  But  while  the 
boats  lay  to,  watching  for  a  reappearance,  the  drugs  were  seen  far  out 
in  the  bay  flying  over  the  waters,  though  with  decreasing  speed,  and 
on  the  whale's  coming  up  again  to  blow,  it  received  a  harpoon  from 
Nu-ker-zhoo,  at  the  bow  of  the  "Sylvia,"  and  Ou-e-la's  iron  drew. 
The  whale  again  turned  flukes  for  soundings,  taking  out  with  him  half 
of  the  "  Sylvia's "  whale-line ;  it  then  immediately  struck  iieaward, 
dragging  the  boat  through  the  water  with  great  speed,  but  on  its  com- 
ing up  and  blowing,  Ou-e-la  lanced  it  from  the  "Lady  Franklin."  It 
died  within  one  hour  from  the  first  attack. 

The  anchor  was  dropped  from  the  "Sylvia,"  the  corners  of  the 
whale's  flukes  were  cut  off,  its  mouth  tied  up,  and  the  fins  taken,  one 
into  each  boat.  The  towing  of  the  animal  to  a  floe  was  made  with 
slow  progress  against  head  tide,  but  at  one  p.m.  the  prize  was  taken 
into  a  small  cove  near  the  tupiks.  Hall  had  breakfasted  on  raw  muk- 
tuk  as  soon  as  the  whale  was  killed.  The  Innuits,  though  equally  fond 
of  the  skin,  could  not  join  him,  because  they  had  already  eaten  took-too  ; 
in  obedience  to  a  like  superstitious  idea,  three  days  must  elapse  after 


HALL  AT   DR.    RAE's   FORT.  235 

the  capture  of  a  whale  before  any  work  could  be  done.  On  the  day 
following,  the  carcass  was  cut  up  and  cached  amid  scenes  of  feasting ; 
fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  the  bone,  designed  by  Hall  for  the  benefit 
of  his  expedition,  were  securely  deposited,  to  be  available  on  the 
return  of  the  whalers  to  the  bay  in  the  following  fall. 


WINTER   QUARTERS   AT   RAE's   FORT   HOPE   (1865-66). 

On  the  4th  of  September  Hall  made  his  twenty-sixth  encampment 
on  the  banks  of  North  Pole  River,  near  the  Fort  Hope  of  Dr.  Rae. 
This  was  to  be  his  winter  quarters,  in  which  he  was  to  prepare  for  his 
sledge  journey  next  season  to  the  west. 

From  this  point  also  he  would  make  a  survey  of  the  bay,  his  obser- 
vations of  the  coast-line  already  made  having  satisfied  him  that  an  im- 
provement of  the  charts  could  be  made  for  the  whalers.  Steadfast  in 
the  purpose  to  succeed  in  the  several  objects  of  his  voyage,  he  had 
declined  to  accept  offers  from  the  whalers  for  a  passage  home.  When 
he  now  set  up  this  upik  the  glories  of  a  beautiful  sunset  were  changing 
the  Arctic  hues  of  the  landscape  into  tropical  warm  coloring,  and  fill- 
ing the  grayish  cool  atmosphere  with  an  unusual  brilliancy.  Plis  plans 
for  the  next  year  involved  the  securing  the  continued  friendship  of  the 
Innuits  and  the  storing  of  provisions  for  the  long  sledge  journey  as 
well  as  for  the  winter  supply.  The  larger  part  of  the  tribe  scattered 
themselves  at  points  some  distance  off,  exchanging  visits  with  him 
during  the  following  closed  season.  His  two  close  companions,  Joe 
and  Too-koo-litoo  (Hannah),  remained  in  his  igloo. 

Excepting  occasionally  a  few  salmon  or  perhaps  a  dozen  partridges 
no  provision  was  available  during  the  severe  winter  months  but  the 
deer-meat.  To  visit  the  deposits  was  then  a  matter  of  frequency,  and 
often  a  work  of  severe  exposui*e  and  labor ;  nor,  because  of  the  scarcity 
of  fuel,  was  it  often  practicable  to  have  much  cooking  done. 

A  very  large  number  of  deer  had  been  deposited;  —  in  September  as 
many  as  ninety-three,  in  the  latter  part  of  which  month  Hall  estimated 
that  as  many  as  a  thousand  passed  in  one  day ;  in  November  fifty  more 
were  cached;  and  a  few  were  seen  as  late  as  January  27.     They  did 


23f3 


AJSIEEICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


not  again  appear  until  the  end  of  March,  when  the  does  that  were  with 
young  began  their  migration. 

Hall's  share  in  the  exposures,  labors,  and  privations  of  the  season 
was  again  of  a  severely  trying  character.  On  one  visit  to  his  favorite 
deer-pass,  where  he  had  been  accustomed  to  watch  behind  a  stone  wall, 
he  endeavored  Avith  Joe  to  cache  live  that  they  had  killed  the  day  pre- 
vious, and  within  the  weary  hours  of  piling  up  over  them  rock  and 

stone  was  overtaken  by  a  fierce 
storm  of  sharjj,  cutting,  blinding 
snow  on  the  wings  of  the  gale,  — 
enough,  he  said,  to  make  one  ex- 
claim, "  None  but  devils  should  be 
doomed  to  such  a  punishment." 
Entering  the  hut  on  their  return 
each  seemed  to  the  other  and  to 
Too-koo-litoo  a  pillar  of  snow, 
until  for  a  long  time  they  had 
pounded  and  threshed  their  native 
dresses.  On  another  visit  he  had 
the  misfortune  to  find  that  a  de- 
[)0sit  made  six  feet  above  the  river 
level  had  been  swept  by  a  six-days' 
gale  and  storm.  The  main  supply 
of .  food  must,  however,  be  from 
these  deposits.  At  times,  how- 
ever, his  store-house  was  well  filled, 
and  a  season  of  feasting  ensued; 
and  as  often,  through  a  failure  in 
recovering  the  deposits,  or  through  the  caprice  of  the  Innuits,  he  was 
placed  on  short  rations.  His  Journal  of  January  21  tells  the  following : 
"I  arise  usually  l)etween  seven  and  eight  in  the  morning,  and  after  smok- 
ing a  little,  cut  a  few  chips  from  whatever  little  choice  block  of  venison 
I  may  hai)pen  to  have,  and  eat  the  same  raw  and  hard  frozen.  As  eat- 
ing venison  alone  is  dry  work  unless  one  has  tood-noo^  I  eat  seal  blub- 
ber, which  is  old,  of  strong  color,  and  of  strong  old  cheese-taste.    About 


TOO-KOO-LITOO  (UAXXAir). 


HALL  S   FOOD. 


23T 


four  ounces  of  venison  and  one  ounce  of  blubber  make  my  break- 
fast. Had  I  abundance  of  the  former,  I  should  eat  nearer  four 
pounds  than  four    ounces,    for  it  must  be    remembered  that  it  takes. 


AK-TOO-A   DROWXED  IX  HIS  KIA. 

a  great  deal  of  the  venison  of  this  country  to  supply  one's  appe- 
tite and  necessities  in  the  winter.  In  the  neighborhood  of  noon 
(really  there  is  no  particular  time  of  one's  taking  his  meals  when  living 
as  the  Innuits  do)  I  dine  on  what  would  be  called  old,  stinking,  nause- 
ating whale-skin  ;  hut  to  a  hungry  soul  every  hitter  tliiny  /.«  sweet,  ami  I. 
indeed,  find  it  so.     Some  of  the  effects  of  eating  the  first  few  times  of 


"238  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

this  muktuh  (whale-skin)  are  very  severe  griping  pains  in  the  stomach 
and  bowels,  followed  by  copious  diarrhoea.  Nearly  every  Innuit,  great 
and  small,  in  the  village,  as  well  as  myself,  has  suffered  thus  by  eating 
this  whale-skin.  There  were  seven  patients  on  my  hands  one  day  last 
week  suffering  with  the  above-named  complaint.  For  my  lunch,  or  supper, 
I  pick  out  the  fatty  substance  of  a  whale-fin,  and  eat  with  it  a  little 
more  of  my  took-too  meat,  about  the  same  amount  as  for  my  breakfast, 
topping  off  with  delicate  slices  of  raw  whale-beef  or  whale-skin,  and 
go  to  bed  hungry,  but  as  soon  as  I  am  asleep  I  dream  of  friends  and 


IJiTNUIT  HEAD-ORNAMENT. 


better  times  coming.  ...  I  frequently  feast  on  tallow  candles,  which 
word  I  use  as  a  figure  for  pure  deer-tallow  (tood-noo),  of  which  I  made 
excellent  dip  candles,  and  not  having  use  for  them  have  eaten  them 
with  good  relish." 

The  work  of  preparing  deerskins  for  clothing  chiefly  occupied  him, 
with  the  assistance  of  Joe,  the  wife  being  disabled  by  Innuit  custom 
from  working  on  this,  as  she  was  a  young  mother.  Hall  dressed  him- 
self entirely  in  furs ;  Joe  could  make  for  himself  with  the  needle  good 
mittens  and  boots. 

On  a  visit  to  the  village  of  Now-yarn  he  learned  the  death  of  Ar- 
too-a,  who,  contrary  to  custom,  had  gone  out  alone  in  his  kia.  His 
boat  and  implements  had  been  found,  but  not  the  body.  It  was  thought 
that  while  spearing  one  of  a  band  of  deer  crossing  the  lake,  his  boat  had 
been  struck  by  the  horns  of  the  animal. 


AURORAS. 


239 


On  the  return  of  New  Year's  day  a  ball  was  held  in  his  igloo, 
where  the  men,  wearing  masks  of  reindeer  skin,  kept  up  their  dances 
and  the  performances  of  the  key-low-tik  to  a  late  hour.  Wrestling 
and  other  gymnastic  exercises,  such  as  tight-rope  dancing,  were 
very  frequent  in  the  village.  The  women  at  such  times  were  gayly 
attired. 

He  spent  several  days  in 
the  busy  work  of  surveying 
Now-yarn  harbor  and  its  vi- 
cinity, making  also  the  sketch 
of  which  the  cut  below  is  a 
fac-simile. 

A  cliff  on  the  border  of  a 


NOW  YARN  HARBOR  AND  VICINITY. 


GD  neighboring    inlet    much   interested   him    by   the 

Innuit  tradition  with  which  it  was  connected.  Ou-e-la's  story  was 
that  years  before,  two  little  girls,  while  playing  about  this  cliff  with 
infants  in  hoods  on  their  backs,  had  gone  into  an  opening  between  the 
rocks,  which  closed  upon  them  before  escape  was  possible.  All  attempts 
at  rescue  were  unsuccessful,  and  the  poor  children,  to  whom  for  a  time 
bread  and  water  were  passed,  perished  in  the  cliff. 


AURORAS. 

Auroras  were  frequent  during  the  months  of  November,  February, 
and  March.  More  than  once  on  witnessing  them  Hall  found  the  ques- 
tion arising :  "  Why  is  it  that  the  aurora  is  almost  always  seen  in  the 
Southern  heavens  ?  Why  do  we  not  see  the  same  north  of  us  ?  I  have 
seen  the  aurora  at  Wager  Bay,  at  Noo-wook,  at  Depot  Island,  and  from 


240  AMERICAN    EXPLOIfATlONS    IN    THE   ICK   ZONES. 

various  places  about  Repulse  Bay,  and  almost  uniformly  the  phenomenon 
is  seen  southerly  of  the  point  wherever  I  happened  to  be.  The  same 
was  true  in  my  previous  voyage  (1860-62)  — that  the  aurora  was  seen 
south.  In  this  connection  I  would  state  that  from  all  I  have  been  able 
to  learn  in  the  many  close  observations  I  have  made  during  their  dis- 
plays, the  aurora  is  generally  not  far  distant,  —  oft-times  within  a  few 
hundred  feet,  —  and  continues  within  a  stone's  throw  of  one's  head.  If 
an  army  of  men  were  close  together  in  line,  and  extended  from  here  to 
York  Factory,  I  am  sure  each  man  would  see  the  auroral  dis2)lays  all 
south  of  him  ;  and  yet  the  most  distant  displays  would  not  exceed  ten 
or  fifteen  miles,  wliile  the  most  of  the  auroras  would  be  within  a  half  to 
three  miles  of  him." 

[Between  the  parallel  of  fifty  degrees  north  and  that  of  sixty-two 
degrees  north,  auroras  during  the  winter  are  seen  almost  every  night. 
They  appear  high  in  the  heavens,  and  as  often  to  the  south  as  to  the 
no]-ih.  In  regions  further  north  they  are  seldom  seen  except  in  the 
south.  —  Prof.  E  LooMis'  "Treatise  on  Meteorology,"  p.  187.] 

November  7,  the  rays  of  an  aurora  shot  horizontally  to  the  east- 
ward, in  the  direction  of  the  magnetic  meridian ;  and  at  7  p.m.  of  the 
10th  a  third  auroral  veil  covered  the  sky,  lasting  twenty  minutes. 

February  6,  the  passageway  of  Hall's  igloo  was  flooded  with  the 
light  of  an  aurora.  On  going  out  he  saw  a  long  belt  extending  far  east- 
southeast,  and  far  west-noi-tliwest,  the  centre  of  it  a  trifle  south,  but 
apparently  within  a  pistol-shot.  "  The  rays  were  all  vertical  and  danc- 
ing right  merrily.  This  whole  belt  was  remarkably  low  down,  —  that 
is,  apparently  not  more  than  fifty  or  seventy-five  feet  from  the  earth,  — 
and  along  the  base  of  it,  from  end  to  end,  was  a  continuous  stream  of 
prismatic  fires,  wliicli,  with  the  golden  rays  of  light  jetting  upward  and 
racing  backward  and  forward  —  some  dancing  merrily  one  way,  wliile 
others  did  the  same  from  the  opposite  direction  —  made  one  of  the  most 
gorgeous,  soul-inspiring  displays  I  ever  witnessed.  The  Innuits,  nearly 
the  whole  of  whom  witnessed  the  grand  sight,  kept  up,  as  they  always 
do  on  such  occasions,  their  charming  music  —  that  is,  whistling.  The 
display  lasted  but  a  few  minutes."  The  following  night  something  of  a 
like  display  was  witnessed  ;   a  single  streak  of  aurora  shot  up  from 


AURORAS. 


241 


the  south,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  whole  horizon  was  alive  with  the 
dancing  fires  of  the  north. 

On  the  19th  there  was  a  display  of  aurora  upon  which  the  wind 
had  no  apparent  effect,  although  a  gale  was  blowing.     On  the  10th  of 


AURORA  SKETCHED  BY  HALL. 

March,  a  wondrous  display  stretched  across  the  southern  horizon  from 
east-southeast  to  west-southwest.  "  The  eastern  half  was  in  the  form  of 
an  arch,  with  vertical  rays,  while  the  western  half  was  convolved  in 
such  vast  glowing  circles  that  nearly  a  quarter  of  the  heavens  seemed 
on  fire.     The  eastern  half  consisted  of  bosses  or  birch  broom-heads. 


242 


AMEKICAN   EXPLORATIONS  IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 


SKETCH  OF 

PONDS  BAY 

By  Che  Tnmiii  Papa 
Drawnin  Jaiu  1869 


THE  NOS.  ON  PAPA'S  CHART  REFER  TO  INNUIT  NAMES  OF  LOCAL  POINTS 
KNOWN  TO  THEM. 


springing  into  life  and  dancing  merrily  to  and  fro  along  the  vertex 
of  the  highest  rays  forming  the  arch.  To  each  broom-head  was  a 
complete  nucleus,  well-defined,  about  which  the  rays,  inclined  about 


CHABT  DRAWN  BY  AN  ESKIMO.  243 

forty-five  degrees  to  the  east,  played  most  fantastically.  One  was  quite 
alone  in  its  glory,  for  not  only  had  it  the  embellishments  of  its  sister 
broom-heads,  but  golden  hair  radiated  from  its  head  in  all  directions." 
^  The  journals  of  November  have  interesting  notes  also  of  refraction 
and  parhelia.  At  10  h.  12  min.  41  sec.  mean  time  of  Fort  Hope  the 
sun's  lower  limb  was  a  half  degree  above  the  sea  horizon ;  Southampton 
Island  by  refraction  loomed  up  from  ten  to  thirty  minutes  of  arc  above 
it,  although  at  no  other  time  visible  from  Hall's  place  of  observation, 
opposite  Rae's  Beacon  Hill.  Cape  Frigid,  forty-seven  geographical 
miles  distant,  was  visible,  and  the  coast-lines  yet  further  south,  while 
a  zone  of  about  five  degrees  in  width  from  the  horizon  upward  was 
of  resplendent  colors  extending  around  the  heavens,  the  half  circle 
opposite  the  sun  being  the  more  brilliant.  At  sunset  the  phenom- 
enon renewed  itself.  A  mock  sun  on  the  30th  deceived  the  untutored 
natives. 

During  the  last  of  the  winter  of  1865  and  the  beginning  of  the 
spring  following,  estrangements  from  the  good  feeling  which  had  ex- 
isted between  the  white  man  and  the  natives  showed  themselves  to 
a  degree  producing  disquiet  and  even  some  apprehension  of  personal 
danger.  But  Hall  succeeded  in  preserving  his  own  equanimity  and  his 
control  over  the  restless  spirits  of  Ou-e-la,  Ar-mou,  and  their  people. 
His  chief  dependence  for  securing  this  was  his  known  connection  with 
the  whalers,  whose  return  was  now  again  to  be  expected  in  the  bay,  and, 
next  to  this,  his  frequent  supplies  of  tobacco.  Happily  the  estrange- 
ments were  not  serious.  Both  these  chiefs  had  committed  themselves 
and  their  people  to  the  promise  of  assistance  on  his  never-forgotten 
journey  toward  King  William  Land,  and  he  was  dependent  on  this 
promise. 

Ar-mou  made  for  him  a  complete  chart  of  the  coasts  he  had  visited, 
embracing  a  line  from  Pond's  Bay  to  Fort  Churchill,  a  distance  of  966 
nautical  miles  —  a  map  rendering  valuable  aid  to  the  explorer.* 

•  In  the  "Fortnightly  Review"  for  September,  1880,  Mr.  Francis  Ualton,  F.R.S.,  in 
an  article  under  the  heading  of  "  Mental  Imagery,"  says:  "  The  Eskimos  are  geographers 
by  instinct,  and  appear  to  see  vast  tracts  of  country  mapped  out  in  their  heads."  From 
the  multitude  of  illustrations  of  their  map-drawing  powers,  I  will  select  one  from  those 


244  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 


FIRST   ADVANCE   TOWARDS   KING   WILLIAM  LAND. 

Hall's  occupations  at  Fort  Hope  had  been  the  preparing  the  neces- 
sary provisions  and  stores  for  this  first  westward  advance.  March  30, 
1866,  his  native  friends  Ar-raou,  See-gar,  Ar-goo-moo-too-lik,  and  Ou-e-la 
gave  proof  of  renewed  friendship  by  the  loan  of  their  dogs ;  this  was 
the  more  pleasing,  as  during  the  winter  he  had  almost  despaired  of 
securing  a  team,  his  own  stock  consisting  of  "but  two  female  dogs 
equal  to  one  good  dog,  and  two  puppies  equal  to  a  quarter  of  a  good 
dog."  The  price  at  which  one  had  been  held  was  not  lower  than  a 
double-barrelled  gun. 

Ebierbing,  Ar-mou,  and  Nu-ker-zhoo,  with  their  families,  and  the 
young  native  She-nuk-shoo,  made  up  his  party ;  all  the  others  had 
gone  off  from  the  encampment.  The  start  was  made  with  the  wind 
fresh  from  the  North-northwest  and  the  temperature  50°  below  frost 
point,  and  the  gale  became  very  severe,  beating  fiercely  and  directlj' 
in  the  face  of  one  who  was  poorly  prepared  to  bear  it  from  his  hav 
ing  eaten  little  or  no  food  for  several  days.  In  writing  of  this,  he 
says  there  had  been  before  him  an  abundance  of  such  as  he  would  have 
relfshed,  if  he  could  relish  anything ;  but  he  had  been  so  busy  in  writ 
ing  and  so  enwrapped  in  anxieties  that  he  had  little  or  no  appetite 

included  in  the  Journals  of  Captain  Hall  at  page  224,  which  were  published  last  year  by 
the  U.  S.  Government  under  the  editorship  of  Prof.  J.  E.  Noui^e.  It  is  the  fac-simile  of 
a  chart  drawn  by  an  Eskimo  who  was  a  thorough  barbarian  in  the  accepted  sense  of  the 
word;  that  is  to  say,  he  spoke  no  language  except  his  own  uncouth  tongue.  He  was 
wholly  tmeducated  according  to  our  modern  ideas,  and  he  lived  in  what  we  should  call  a 
strange  fashion.  This  man  drew  from  memory  a  chart  of  the  region  over  which  he  had 
at  one  thne  or  another  gone  in  a  canoe.  It  extended  from  Pond's  Bay,  in  lat.  73°,  to  Fort 
Churchill,  in  lat.  58*  44,  over  a  distance  in  a  straight  lipe  of  more  than  960  to  1,100 
English  miles,  the  coast  being  so  indented  by  arms  of  the  sea  that  its  length  is  six  times 
as  great.  On  the  comparing  this  chart  (rough  Eskimo  outline)  with  the  Admiralty  chart 
of  1870,  their  accordance  is  remarkable.  I  have  seen  many  route-maps  made  by  travellers 
in  past  years,  when  the  scientific  exploration  of  the  world  was  much  less  advanced  than 
it  is  now,  and  I  can  confidently  say  that  I  have  never  known  of  any  traveller,  white,  brown, 
or  black,  civilized  or  imcivilized,  in  Africa,  Asia,  or  Australia,  who,  being  unprovided 
with  instruments,  and  trusting  to  his  memory  alone,  has  produced  a  chart  comparable  in 
extent  and  accuracy  to  this  barbarous  Eskimo.  Their  powers  of  accurate  drawing  are 
abundantly  testified  by  the  numerous  illustrations  in  Rink's  work,  all  of  which  were  made 
by  self-taught  men,  and  are  thoroughly  reliable." 


AN-KOOTING.  245 

"The  labor  of  the  wi-iting  which  I  have  done,  without  speaking  of 
anything  else,  has  been  enough  to  kill  many  a  man  and  has  nearly 
killed  me." 

His  route  was  up  the  North  -Pole  River,  north  50°  east.  To  shelter 
himself  from  the  sharp  wind,  he  held  his  head  at  times  low  down 
behind  the  load  on  the  sled. 

On  the  way  a  new  *)urce  of  delay  was  caused  by  the  continued 
illness  of  Too-koo-litoo's  babe,  for  whose  relief  her  Innuit  friends  re- 
commended and  practised  different  forms  of  an-kooting.  On  the  4th, 
the  an-ge-ko  put  a  leather  strap  around  Ebierbing's  head  while  lying  on 
the  bed ;  and  when  he  occasionally  pulled  on  this  strap  the  head  came 
up,  or  it  remained  firmly  down,  though  the  lifts  were  hard ;  the  raising 
of  the  head  or  its  remaining  steady,  indicated  the  different  replies  to 
the  questions  asked  as  to  the  future  of  the  babe.  On  the  7th,  the 
babe's  health  not  having  improved,  Nu-ker-zhoo  as  "a  newly-fledged 
an-ge-ko  "  entered  on  his  work  by  pulling  the  strap  around  the  head  of 
one  of  the  women,  and  while  propounding  many  questions  to  the  Spirit, 
brought  up  her  head  when  only  an  affirmative  was  made.  For  the  third 
operation,  on  the  8th,  Nu-ker-zhoo  brought  into  the  igloo  a  stone  weigh- 
ing ten  pounds,  to  which  he  made  fast  a  string  of  ook-gook  skin  which 
he  held  in  both  hands,  the  hand  nearest  the  stone  being  used  as  a  kind 
of  fulcrum  as  well  as  for  lifting  power.  Holding  on  to  the  string  he 
began  to  woo  or  call  the  Spirit,  by  repeatedly  calling  out  '•  Attee, 
Attee ; "  lifting  or  pretending  to  lift  on  the  stone  to  determine  whether 
the  Spirit  answered.  In  two  or  three  minutes  it  became  immovable  by 
the  Spirit,  as  they  believed,  pulling  hard  down ;  and  this  was  a  sign  that 
any  questions  would  be  answered.  Some  of  the  questions  were: 
Should  the  child  take  any  more  of  Hall's  medicines?  or  had  Too-koo- 
litoo  conformed  to  her  people's  customs?  Would  the  child  live?  An- 
swers to  the  two  first  of  these  were  always  negative  ;  to  the  third  it  was 
in  substance  that,  if  the  mother  would  give  up  the  use  of  the  bread  and 
tea,  or  stay  with  Ou-e-la's  people  the  child  might  live,  but  if  the  parents 
went  forward  one  of  the  three  would  surely  die.  Such  answers  on  either 
side  were  indicated  by  the  difficulty  in  lifting  the  stone :  if  the  answer 
was  no,  it  had  its  natural  weight  only ;  if  yes,  it  was  hard  to  raise  it 


246  AMERICAN  EXPLOEATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

the  least  bit.  Hall  could  not  undeceive  the  parents  about  this  lifting, 
though  the  an-ge-ko's  work  was  readily  seen  through,  and  on  the  15th, 
Too-koo-litoo  in  her  anxiety  took  her  full  share  in  another  an-koot-ing, 
and  then  in  despair  agreed  to  a  decree,  to  give  away  the  babe  and  thus 
save  its  life  ;  but,  on  Hall's  remonstrance,  the  child  was  restored  to 
the  mother. 

On  the  13th,  the  long-expected  death  of  the  child  took  place.  The 
almost  distracted  mother,  the  moment  she  found  it  was  really  dead, 
rushed  out  of  the  igloo,  pressing  the  dead  baby  to  her  bosom  and  pour- 
ing out  her  soul's  grief.  Her  leaving  the  igloo  so  quickly  was  in 
accordance  with  Innuit  custom ;  for  if  this  is  not  done  when  any  one 
dies  in  it,  everything  becomes  wortliless ;  in  this  case  it  was  considered 
that  the  mother  went  out  soon  enough,  so  that  the  bedding  and  every- 
thing else  need  not  be  thrown  away.  In  ten  minutes  she  returned  and 
took  her  seat  on  the  bed  platform,  grieving  for  a  very  long  time  as  a 
loving  mother  only  grieves,  but  at  length  was  persuaded  by  Mam-mark 
to  let  the  dead  baby  be  taken  from  her  bosom  and  wrapped  in  a  small 
furred  tooh-too  skin.  Mam-mark  insisted  that,  according  to  the  custom 
of  her  people,  the  remains  must  be  buried  at  once ;  but,  on  Hall's  re- 
monstrating and  urging  that  they  should  be  kept  till  at  least  the  next 
day,  a  compromise  was  made,  and  the  child  that  died  at  twenty-five 
minutes  past  1  p.  m.  was  burieTi  at  6.30.  It  was  wrapped  in  a  blanket 
of  took-too  skin  of  long  fur,  tied  with  thongs,  and  having  a  loop  in 
it  to  go  over  the  neck  of  the  mother,  who  must  carry  the  corpse. 
A  hole  having  been  cut  through  the  wall  of  the  igloo  for  the  pro- 
cession of  four  persons  in  single  file.  Hall,  Mam-mark,  the  mother 
with  the  babe  suspended  from  her  neck,  and  the  father  following 
close,  proceeded  to  the  place  of  burial  on  a  little  hill,  which  Hall  had 
selected. 

Delays  from  other  sources  increased,  the  Innuits  sometimes  pleading 
that  they  must  turn  aside  for  a  musk-ox  hunt,  and  then  rest  the  whole 
of  the  day  following.  The  average  travel  was  scarcely  more  than  from 
two  to  three  miles  per  day,  the  party  nearing  Cape  Weynton  on  the 
south  side  of  Colville  Bay  at  the  close  of  the  twenty-eighth  day;  —  a 
journey  made  by  Dr.  Rae  in  '54,  without  a  dog-team,  in  five  days. 


NATIVES   WHO   HAD   SEEK   FRANKLIN. 


24T 


STRANGE  NATIVES   MET. 

A  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  journey  now  opened.  Ascending  a 
berg  above  a  floe  to  prospect  the  route  across  the  bay,  Hall  and  his 
two  natives  caught  sight  of  four  strange  Innuits,  who  appeared  to  be 
sealing  some  three  miles  off.  This  was  exciting  to  each,  yet  it  was 
necessary  to  be  friendly  as  well  as  cautious,  for  some  more  news  of  the 
Franklin  party  might  possibly  be  obtained  from  the  strangers,  and  Hall 
was  ever  on  the  look-out  for  this. 
He  quickly  sent  back  for  the  rest 
of  his  party,  who  hastened  to  him ; 
but  Nu-ker-zhoo  felt  sure  that  he 
was  looking  out  on  old  friends. 
Going  forward,  therefore.  Hall  ar- 
rived at  sunset  near  the  strangers, 
and  encamped  there  for  the  night ; 
at  dawn  of  day,  his  new  igloo  was 
filled  with  new  faces,  and  a  story  of 
interest  was  unfolded. 

Kok-lee-arng-nun,  their  chief, 
showed  two  spoons  which,  he  said, 
had  been  given  to  him  by  Aglooka ; 
on  one  were  the  letters  F.  R.  M.  C. 
The  wife  had  a  silver  watchcase. 
Too-koo-litoo  learned  also  from 
the  men  that  their  people  had  been,  at  one  time,  alongside  of  "the 
ships,"  and  had  seen  the  great  Eshemutta  (Franklin).  "This  Eshe- 
mutta  was  an  old  man  with  broad  shoulders,  gray  hair,  full  face, 
and  bald  head.  He  was  always  wearing  something  over  his  eyes," — 
"  spectacles,"  as  Too-koo-litoo  described  them.  "  He  was  quite  lame  and 
sick  when  they  last  saw  him.  He  was  always  very  kind,  wanted  them 
to  eat  constantly,  very  cheerful  and  laughing;  everybody  liked  him, 
Innuits  and  all  on  the  ship  ;  they  on  the  ship  would  always  do  what  he 
said.  The  ship  was  crushed  by  the  ice.  While  it  was  sinking,  the 
men  worked  for  their  lives,  but  before  they  could  get  much  out  from 


FRANKLIN  RELICS 


248 


AJVIERICAN  EXPLORATIONS  IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 


the  vessel,  she  sank.  For  this  reason  Aglooka  (Crozier)  died  of  star- 
vation, for  he  could  not  get  provisions  to  carry  with  him  on  his  land 
journey." 

The  Pelly  Bay  men  further  said  that  they  had  for  a  long  time 
feared  to  go  aboard  the  other  ship,  but  on  seeing  one  man  alive  on  it, 
some  of  them  had  gone  and  rummaged  everywhere,  taking  out  what 
they  wanted  for  themselves ;  and  that  afterwards  two  boats  had  been 
found  with  dead  men  in  them. 

Hall  obtained  from  these  men  a 
number  of  relics,  of  which  the  cuts 
are  specimens.  But  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  news  received,  and 
of  its  good  indications  of  what 
could  be  obtained  of  greater 
worth  when  a  visit  should  be 
made  to  the  region  where  these 
things  had  happened,  there  was 
little  advantage  to  be  derived  from 
this  meeting,  or  indeed  from  the 
journey  which  had  now  ended. 

The  new-comers  did  not  appear 
willing  to  be  friends  ;  they  engag- 
ed in  the  old  an-kooting  business 
with  zest,  spending  their  time  and 
that  of  Hall's  party  in  it;  and 
they  made  the  party  dissatisfied 
with  the  idea  of  advancing  any 
further  that  season,  frightening  them  from  so  doing.  Nu-ker-zhoo 
said  he  was  not  afraid  to  go  on,  but  the  rest,  at  last,  showed  evident 
signs  of  fear,  and  it  would  have  been  useless  to  attempt  an  advance. 
Hall  most  unwillingly  agreed  to  return,  and  began  to  see  that  a  journey 
as  far  westward  as  he  contemplated  was  not  by  any  means  promising, 
if  he  was  to  depend  on  the  Innuits  alone.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to 
attempt  it  with  the  aid  of  a  party  of  white  men,  whom  he  hoped  he 
could  secure  from  the  whalers  in  the  spring  of  the  next  season.     Stor- 


FKAXKLIN   RELICS. 

The  lieh-heaU  crest  identifies  them  as  Fianltlin's. 


ARRIVAL   OF   WHALERS.  249 

ing  a  goodly  quantity  of  provisions  for  such  a  journey,  he  left  Cape 
Weynton  with  a  saddened  heart,  and  on  the  23d  of  May  was  safe  again 
at  his  old  camping-ground  of  Beacon  Hill. 

DELAYS    AT    REPULSE    BAY,   AND    MED-WINTER    SLEDGE 
JOURNEY.  —  1860-67. 

Two  full  years  had  now  passed  since  the  sailing  from  New  London. 
The  first  landing  at  a  mistaken  point  of  the  country  had  cost  a  year's 
delay,  and  the  failure  to  obtain  trustworthy  native  help  had  now 
turned  Hall  back  from  his  hoped-for  advance  to  King  William  Land. 
The  first  page  of  his  note-book,  for  March  31,  1861,  had  upon  it  in  bold 
writing:  "Now  for  King  William  Land!  up  at  four  a.m.,  and  get- 
ting ready  for  a  start" ;  but  the  notes  of  May  25,  1866,  read  :  ''  To-day 
my  King  William  party  is  ended  for  the  present  —  disappointed  but  not 
discouraged.'^ 

Yet  he  had  the  full  consciousness  that  at  least  nine  months  must  be 
passed  before  he  could  again  set  his  face  towards  the  west,  and  that 
he  could  neither  trust  the  Innuits  for  an  advance,  nor  be  sure  of  secur- 
ing sufficient  provisions  and  dog-teams  for  so  long  a  journey.  He  had 
reason  to  desire  to  meet  again  the  Pelly  Bay  men,  for  See-punfi-er  had 
visited  King  William  Land  and  had  told  of  a  Cairn,  seen  there  by  him, 
which  had  been  built  by  the  Kod-lu-nfias  ;  he  had  also  spoken  of  having 
found  papers  within  it,  which  being  good  for  nothing  to  Innuits,  had 
been  given  to  children  or  thrown  away  ;  he  had  spent  one  night  near 
this  pile,  wrapping  himself  in  blankets  taken  off  some  banked-up  cloth- 
ing of  white  men ;  a  skeleton  being  found  near  the  pile.  Hall  almost 
persuaded  himself  that  within  that  pile  the  Records  must  be  found. 

But  for  any  assistance  toward  that  next  journey,  he  must  wait  for 
the  coming  in  of  some  of  the  whaling  fleet  of  the  season.  After  an 
occupancy  of  two  months  in  boat  journeys  for  completing  the  survey 
of  the  bay,  and  after  another  long  sujBferance  of  the  continued  low  cus- 
toms of  the  natives,  he  was  gratified  by  the  arrival  of  the  "  Pioneer," 
from  New  London,  and  answered  Captain  Morgan's  salutation  in  tears ; 
the  sight  once  more  of  a  friend  from  the  midst  of  home  friends,  was  an 
overmatch  for  all  the  roughness  which  had  been  forced  upon  his  nature 


250  AMERICANS''  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

by  the  ignorant  and  degraded.  Several  other  vessels  soon  came  in ; 
the  "  Black  Eagle  "  bringing  him  letters  from  Mr.  Grinnell,  and  from 
Messrs.  Harper,  his  publishers,  a  copy  of  the  "Arctic  Researches,"  the 
proof  corrections  of  which  he  had  returned  from  St.  John's.  Mr.  Grin- 
nell sent  him  a  letter  from  Lady  Franklin,  in  which  she  had  expressed 
the  deepest  sympathy  in  his  work. 

He  was  now  successful  in  securing  a  second  whale,  the  length  of 
which  was  sixty  feet,  and  its  blubber  sufficient  to  yield  sixty  barrels 
of  oil.  By  September,  with  native  help,  he  had  placed  on  board  the 
"  Ansel  Gibbs  "  about  one  thousand  Ifive  hundred  pounds  of  bone,  to 
be  sold  on  the  return  of  the  ship  to  the  United  States. 

But  the  whalers  were  not  to  return  that  season,  the  meagre  results 
of  their  cruises  forcing  them  to  await  the  chances  of  a  second  year. 
From  their  crews,  however,  he  soon  had  volunteers  as  substitutes  for 
the  natives,  and  he  had  hopes  of  obtaining  a  sufficient  number  of  dogs. 
With  the  two  Eskimo  friends,  he  again  set  up  his  tupik  on  Beacon  Hill, 
Dr.  Rae's  tenting-place  of  1847,  and  entered  with  zest  into  the  hunt  for 
provisioning  the  coming  winter,  and  in  October,  within  his  igloo,  settled 
himself  down  to  his  plans  and  hopes. 

Yet  before  the  first  month  of  the  New  Year  closed,  he  learned  from 
the  captains  of  the  four  vessels,  that  they  would  not  permit  the  Innuits 
to  supply  him  with  a  single  dog  for  the  coming  journey.  They  were 
feeding  this  people  through  the  winter,  and  they  would  need  all  their 
dogs  for  sledding  blubber  and  bone,  at  the  opening  season,  from  the 
water  to  the  ships.  Helpless  to  enforce  his  claim.  Hall  determined, 
therefore,  to  make  a  sledge-trip  to  Amitoke,  or,  perhaps,  to  Ig-loo-lik, 
even  in  the  depth  of  winter  to  buy  his  dogs.  The  journey  might  be 
one  of  more  than  three  hundred  miles,  but  another  year  could  not  be 
lost. 

JOURNEY  TO  IG-LOO-LIK. 

February  7,  1867,  in  the  judgment  of  the  best  Arctic  authorities 
"two  months  before  any  sledge  journey  should  be  attempted  unless 
to  save  life,"  he  set  out  for  Ig-loo-lik  with  Ou-e-la,  his  wife,  a  boy, 
and  a  half-breed  babe,  as  his  only  companions. 


HALL  BUYS   HIS   DOGS. 


251 


BONE-CHARMS  OF  IG-LOO-LIK. 


The  usual  delays  were  experienced.  Ou-e-la  stopped  to  visit  the 
grave  of  his  brother,  and  as  at  this  stoppage  some  of  the  dogs  were 
missing,  a  return  to  the  ships  became  necessary ;  on  the  renewal  of  the 
route,  the  babe  began  to  be  both  an  annoyance  and  the  cause  of  re- 
peated halts,  and  the  dog-lines  at  one  time  became  entangled,  causing 
them  to  be  detached  from  the  peto^  —  the  line  of  walrus-skin  fastening 
their  traces  to  the  sled- " 
runners,  its  ends  being 
bound  together  by  a 
toggle. 

After  the  severe  ex- 
periences of  further 
delays  in  gale-bound 
igloos,  and  of  extreme 
scarcity  of  food  chafing 
even  Ou-e-la's  spirit  to 
anger,  the  sledge-party 

arrived  at  Ig-loo-lik  on  the  night  of  the  26th ;  and,  by  securing  the  good- 
will of  the  people  by  presents  of  needles,  beads,  and  other  articles.  Hall 
"  bartered  for  fourteen  dogs,  in  as  many  minutes,  setting  his  own  price 
on  each."  His  articles  of  barter  were,  knives,  files,  and  even  pieces  of 
old  hoop  -  iron, 
and  wood;  but 
he  as  readily 
made  this  pur- 
chase as  Mc- 
Clintock  had  in 

1859,  when  he  bought  a  reindeer-coat  for  a  knife,  and  a  snow-house  for 
four  needles.  For  food  to  supply  his  return  journey.  Hall  gave  some 
hoop-iron,  an  old  meat-can,  and  a  stick  of  wood,  receiving  several  thou- 
sand pounds  of  walrus-hide.  The  Ig-loo-lik  people,  glad  to  see  a  Kod- 
lu-na,  made  him  presents,  the  best  of  which  was  a  warm  fur-cap.  The 
"bone-charms"  were  held  in  high  esteem.  The  bone-handle  knife 
was  spoken  of  as  having  been  used  to  scoop  out  the  brains  from  tlie 
skulls  of  some  Innuits  by  others,  who  had  n^urdered  them  to  save 
their  own  lives  when  perishing  on  the  ice. 


KNIFE  WHICH  HAD  BEEN  USED  IN  SKULL-SCRAPING. 


252  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   tHE   ICE   ZONES. 

Anxious  to  return  to  the  bay,  that  he  might  begin  his  westward 
journey,  he  was  again  delayed  by  the  whims  of  Ou-e-la,  but  improved 
the  time  by  a  visit  to  the  spot  where  Parry  had  erected  his  flagstaff 
(1825),  and  here  he  found,  with  much  interest,  pieces  of  that  staff  with 
clear  indications,  that,  had  the  season  permitted,  he  would  have  found 
below  ground  the  written  document  of  Parry's  deposit.  The  trench 
made  in  dragging  the  flagstaff  from  the  sea  to  where  it  was  raised 
seemed  as  distinct  as  when  flrst  worn  by  it  into  the  limestone.  On 
the  day  of  the  start  homeward,  it  was  found  that  Ou-e-la  had  put  on 
the  sled  beside  his  wife  a  widow  and  her  child  and  all  her  traps ;  she 
was  left  behind  only  by  large  bribes  from  Hall.  After  further  un- 
comfortable experiences  from  the  savage,  whom  he  felt  more  than 
once  like  shooting  on  the  spot,  —  especially  when  refused,  while  sick, 
sufficient  food,  while  Ou-e-la's  family  were  feasting,  —  Hall  again  sighted 
the  ships.  His  journey  had  cost  him  fifty-two  more  days  of  precious 
time  ;  and  he  now  found  his  plans  again  utterly  arrested. 

Two  months  before,  when  he  had  his  men  seemingly  secured,  the 
captains'  plea  had  been  that  they  could  not  spare  the  dogs.  He  had 
now  returned  from  Ig-loo-lik  with  his  own  full  team  ;  but  the  whal- 
ing season  is  open  and  he  is  behind  time  ;  they  cannot  spare  a  man. 
He  could  punish  Ou-e-la,  as  he  now  did,  by  seizing  all  his  dogs  and 
holding  them  until  he  had  given  penitent  pledges  for  future  good  con- 
duct, but  it  is  not  surprising  that  for  a  number  of  days  he  lay  sick  and 
almost  hopeless  in  his  igloo.  He  was  able  to  punish  Ou-e-la  because 
of  the  presence  of  the  whalers  near  by.  He  seems  to  have  forgotten 
that  the  native  had  been  irritated  by  being  prevented  from  bringing 
home  a  second  wife.  Ou-e-la  afterward  rendered  Hall  much  good 
assistance. 

THE  JOURNEY   TO   CAPE   WEYNTON. 

No  new  journey  to  King  William  Land  !  But  if  this  could  not  be 
in  the  coming  season,  the  cache  made  at  the  Cape,  the  year  previous, 
must  be  visited,  to  make  sure  of  the  safety  of  its  stores,  which  might 
serve  for  the  year  following.  Hall  feared  that  the  Pelly  Bay  men 
would  carry  them  off.     By  the  assistance  of  three  of  the  whaling  crews 


THE   SEARCH   AT   IG-LOOLIK.  253 

he  started  northward  with  them  and  his  own  two  Eskimos,  May  1,  and 
on  reaching  his  cache,  discovered  that  all  had  been  unmolested.  Chang- 
ing the  place  of  deposit  to  one  seemingly  safer  and  of  ready  access,  he 
again  arrived  at  Beacon  Hill  on  the  seventeenth  of  the  month.  His 
hopeful  confidence  of  a  journey  still  to  be  made  for  the  records  re- 
mained unshaken,  and  the  advance  cache  would  be  a  necessity  for  its 
success.  No  connected  notes  are  to  be  found  of  his  occupatioi^  during 
the  summer  months  which  followed.  In  September  he  went  into  winter 
quarters  with  some  of  the  whaling  crews,  at  a  point  near  the  Beacon 
Hill  of  Dr.  Rae.     He  would  endure  another  Arctic  winter  in  an  igloo. 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  STRAITS  OF  FURY  AND  HECLA. 

Every  preparation  seemingly  needed  was  made  for  the  King  William 
Land  journey  before  the  winter  of  1867-68  had  closed.  But  Hall  now 
felt  himself  "  called  to  search  first  for  the  traces  of  the  missing  navi- 
gators in  a  new  direction."  This  change  of  plan,  he  seems,  with  reason 
to  have  afterward  regretted ;  at  the  time  of  his  decision  to  make  it,  he 
thought  himself  sufficiently  advised  by  the  natives,  to  be  justified  in 
the  course.  The  substance  of  the  news  which  governed  his  new  plan 
was,  that  white  men  had  been  seen  within  the  previous  three  years  near 
Ig-loo-lik,  and  that  stone  piles  had  also  been  found  and  tenting-places  at 
points  northward,  which  could  not  have  been  the  work  of  others  than 
Kod-lu-nas.  Too  promptly  crediting  these  Innuit  stories,  and  inferring 
from  them  that  some  of"  Franklin's  men  must  have  been  in  that  region 
of  country,  possibly  to  seek  a  homeward  passage  thence  to  England, 
he  decided  to  explore  the  coasts  of  the  straits  named  above. 

March  23,  1868,  with  his  own  two  Eskimos,  one  white  man,  Lailor, 
and  the  native  Pa-pa-too-a,  he  left  his  encampment.  For  a  long  journey 
he  had  but  a  small  dog-team  and  a  heavy  load  of  provisions  with  articles 
for  presents  and  barter.  By  a  return  of  disease  he  had  lost  fifteen  dogs, 
but  happily  succeeded  in  securing  from  the  Innuits  five  of  the  eight 
only  that  remained  alive  about  the  bay.* 

*  The  nature  of  the  Eskimo  dog  disease  was  closely  noted  in  the  experience  of  the 
English  expedition  of  1875.  The  following  is  taken  from  the  report  of  Fleet  Surgeon 
B.  Ninnis.     (Parliamentary  paper.  C.  2170,  1878.) 

*' Twenty-five  apparently  healthy  dogs  were  embarked  on  board  ship  in  the  middle  of 


254 


AMEBIC AliT   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


May  20, 1868.    Sketch  lookiug  South  aud  East. 
THE  TENTTNG-PLACE. 


At  the  end  of  the  second  week  he  was  nearing  Ig-loo-lik,  and  from 
further  stories  given  to  him  on  the  neighboring  islands,  he  was  strength- 
ened in  the  belief  of  what  he  had  heard  about  the  white  men  being 

seen  on  the  southern 
shores  of  the  Strait.  He 
seems  to  have  really  ex- 
pected that  he  would 
soon  find  some  of  Frank- 
lin's men.  The  natives 
told  him  that  strangers 
had  again  and  again 
been  seen  there,  and  that 
gun  discharges  had  been 
heard ;  the  clothing  of 
those  seen  was  described, 
—  the  caps  on  the  head 
separate  from  the  overcoat,  which  had  a  hood ;  the  footprints  seen  had 
been  long  and  narrow  in  the  middle  with  deep  places  in  the  heel ;  and 
the  tread  of  the  steps  had  always  been  outward.  The  last  date  of  these 
stories  was  up  to  the  year  1864;  some  of  Franklin's  men  then.  Hall 
thought,  might  have  crossed  over  eastward  to  Parry's  old  region  in  the 

July,  1875.  The  number  subsequently  increased  to  twenty-seven  by  the  addition  of  two 
young  ones.  We  were  given  to  understand  that  feeding  twice  a  week  was  amply  sufficient; 
that  the  worst  possible  personal  treatment  was  too  good  for  them,  and  meat  in  any  stage 
of  decomposition  a  perfect  luxury  to  their  fastidious  palates. 

Seven  and  twenty  animals,  confined  to  a  space  which  the  utmost  attention  was  scarcely 
sufficient  to  keep  habitable,  constantly  quarrelling  and  fighting  for  dear  life,  exposed  to 
sun,  dew,  snow,  and  wet  generally,  and  without  a  chance  of  a  run  ashore  — it  was  not  to 
be  wondered  at  that  they  began  to  show  signs  of  disease.  The  first  attacked  was  a  young 
female  twenty-five  days  on  board ;  she  had  a  fit  and  died  in  thirteen  days.  Others  became 
attacked.  One  was  summarily  shot;  one  ran  away,  and  was  seen  no  more;  two  were  acci- 
dentally drowned;  seven  died  from  the  disease;  six  recovered ;  one  died  mad. 

Of  the  whole  number,  twelve  only  were  under  medical  treatment;  one  had  rabies  and 
died,  one  recovered  so  far  as  to  have  two  litters  of  pups,  and  then  died  ten  months  after 
her  first  fit  and  two  or  three  days  after  her  last  litter;  two  fell  into  the  water  when  in  fits 
and  were  drowned;  two  died,  notwithstanding  every  thing  was  done  to  cure  them,  and  six 
recovered  and  M'ere  landed  at  Disco.  .  .  .  The  treatment  found  most  beneficial  was 
calomel,  followed  in  some  cases  by  croton  oil  and  solution  of  morphia,  the  best  of  water, 
and  good  food.  Those  which  were  not  kicked  or  cuffed  behaved  as  socially  and  deco- 
rously as  if  brought  up  in  a  cottage." 


TENTING-PLACE   OF   WHITE  MEN. 


255 


forlorn  hope  of  reaching  a  ship  at 
Cumberland  Inlet  in  which  they 
might  return  to  England. 

But  from  the  top  of  Cape  Ingle- 
field  not  a  sign  indicated  that  white 
men  had  been  there,  nor  could  the 
cache  of  which  so  much  had  been 
said  be  uncovered.  Lailor  and 
Ebierbing,  for  many  hours,  labored 
hard  in  cutting  down  with  their 
iron  snow  -  knives  into  the  spot 
pointed  out  by  the  native,  Koo-loo-a, 
as  its  site,  without  the  least  sign  of 
a  cairn.  A  discovery  of  some  in- 
terest was,  however,  made  in  the 
remains  of  a  tenting-place,  which  the  natives 
assured  him  must  have  been  built  by  white 
men,  for  it  was  traced  by  four  stones  weighing 
each  from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  pounds, 
which  had  been  doubtless  used  to  hold  down 
the  tent-corners,  and  by  rows  of  smaller  stones 
in  places  where  they  had  secured 
the  sides.  An  Innuit  tenting- 
place  close  by  had  its  stones  ar- 
ranged in  the  native  circular 
form.  Both  Hannah  and  Joe 
believed     the     oblong    tent    to 


MONUMENT  FOUNT)  BY  HALL, 
Lat.  69°  47'  5"  N.,  Lon.  85°  15'  W. 


HALL'S  SKETCH  OF  THE  COAST-MNE  NEAR  THE  MONTJMENT. 


256  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

have  been  the  white  man's  work,  and  Hall  left  the  spot,  con- 
vinced that  he  had  found  a  monument  and  tentiug-place  made  by 
white   men. 

SURVEY   OF   THE   NORTHWEST   COAST   OF  MELVILLE  PENINSULA. 

From  astronomical  observations  and  compass  bearings  he  determined 
the  coast-line  between  Cape  Inglefield,  the  most  western  point  of  the 
Strait  sighted  by  Parry,  and  Cape  Crozier,  the  most  northern  reached  by 
Rae  in  1847 ;  by  which  survey  he  may  be  justly  said  to  have  filled  up 
this  broken  line  of  the  Admiralty  chart  for  the  northwestern  part  of 
Melville  Peninsula,  at  and  below  the  western  outlets  of  Fury  and  Hecla 
Strait.  This  was,  at  least,  a  liberal  compensation  for  the  disappoint- 
ment keenly  felt  on  leaving  the  spot  without  records  or  closer  traces  of 
white  men.  On  the  18th  of  the  mouth  following  he  visited  Parry's 
Gifford  river  for  the  objects  already  named,  but  discovered  nothing  of 
interest  except  some  traces  of  occupancy  probably  by  Parry's  men. 
Returning  to  Ig-loo-lik  he  hastened  his  preparations  for  setting  up  his 
tent  again  on  the  bay,  which  he  reached  on  the  26th.  His  Astronom- 
ical Observations  made  at  this  season  are  included  with  those  made  at 
other  points  in  Appendix  I.  of  the  "  Second  Arctic  Expedition,"  pub- 
lished by  the  U.  S.  Senate  1879 ;  the  notes  introducing  that  appendix 
exhibit  the  character  and  condition  of  the  instruments  employed. 

The  journals  of  the  two  remaining  summer  months  of  1868  are  filled 
with  the  accounts  of  salmon-fishing  and  deer-hunting,  the  unfortunate 
shooting  of  one  of  Hall's  five  hired  men,  and  the  capture  of  another 
whale.  By  the  use  of  an  excellent  net  which  he  had  brought  from  home, 
large  numbers  of  the  salmon  were  caught,  the  full  weight  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  captured  on  one  day  exceeding  one  thousand 
pounds.  The  unhappy  man,  Patrick  Coleman,  who  seems  to  have  placed 
himself  as  the  leader  of  a  mutinous  party,  lingered  after  Hall's  fatal  shot 
for  the  space  of  two  weeks,  during  which  time  every  effort  was  made  to 
save  his  life  by  careful  nursing ;  the  other  four  hired  men  shipped  for 
home  on  the  first  two  whalers  that  came  into  the  bay. 

Still,  even  without  the  companionship  of  white  men.  Hall  deter- 
mined to  pass  another  Arctic  winter  in  the  long-cherished  hope  of 


DISCOVERIES  IN  THE  NORTHEAST. 


257 


reaching  King  William  Land.  By  the  close  of  August  he  had  succeeded 
in  the  capture  of  another  whale,  the  blubber  of  which  was  cached  for 
fuel,  the  skin  for  food,  the  meat  for  the  dogs,  and  the  bones  for  renewed 
shipment  to  the  United  States.  During  the  month  of  November  he  made 
a  journey  to  Lyons  Inlet,  surveying  portions  of  it ;  having  made  on  the 
two  journeys  of  the  year,  the  discoveries  of  a  new  inlet,  lat.  67°  X.,  Ion. 
84°  30'  W.,  a  few  miles  north  of  Norman  Creek ;  a  bay  on  the  west  side 
of  Fox  Channel,  lat.  69°  N.,  Ion.  81°  30'  W. ;  a  lake  twenty-five  miles  in 
length,  lat.  68°  45'  N.,  Ion.  82°  W. ;  and  a  second  lake,  in  lat.  69°  35', 
fifty  miles  iu  length,  with  its  two 
outlets;  the  lake  running  parallel 
with  Fury  and  Hecla  Straits.  Also, 
two  islands ;  one  northwest  of  the 
west  end  of  that  strait  and  the 
other  at  its  east  end.  What  he 
considered  accomplished  of  the  most 
importance  geographically  was  the 
completion  of  the  coast  around  the 
north  side  of  Melville  Peninsula. 

The  winter  of  1868-69  was  spent 
with  more  than  usual  comfort.  The 
natives  were  better  supplied  with 
stored  provisions    and   had    better 

success  in  the  hunt  during  the  intervals  of  open  seasons.  Hall's  inter- 
course was  not  again  broken  by  estrangements  on  their  part,  but  he 
had  much  to  bear  from  their  too  great  intimacy,  their  frequent  and 
long  protracted  visits  to  his  igloo,  which  was  at  times  filled  ^vith  men, 
women,  and  children  to  the  youngest,  all  jabbering,  crying,  humming, 
begging  and  stealing.  They  gave  him  some  compensation,  perhaps  full 
recompense — by  their  supplies  of  the  walrus  and  seal.  His  visits  to 
their  village  were  frequent.  He  remained  free  from  a  touch  of  scurvy 
as  indeed  he  was  throughout  all  of  the  three  expeditions,  of  nearly 
nine  years. 

By  March  21,  1869,  he  and  Ebierbing  had  dried  nearly  two  hundred 
pounds  of  venison,  made   up  new  furs  for  the  spring  journey  and 


HALL'S  BOAT-LOG. 


A  DIFFICULT  JOURNEY.  259 

moulded  a  full  supply  of  ammunition.  They  were  by  no  means  assured 
of  the  friendly  disposition  of  the  tribe  among  whom  they  were  to  search 
for  the  lost  records  and  learn  something  of  the  lost  navigators,  but  on 
the  22d  made  an  advance  deposit  for  the  new  journey.  Hall  was  rest- 
less under  the  delay  caused  by  a  severe  gale. 

THE    SUCCESSFUL  JOUBNEY   BEGUN  MARCH  23,  1869, — KING    WILLIAM 

LAND  BEACHED. 

"  Now  for  King  William  Land,"  was  again  the  note-book  inscription 
of  the  day.  The  party  of  natives  numbered  five  men  and  five  females ; 
one,  an  infant  in  the  hood.  Despite  the  past  experiences  of  Innuit 
delays,  it  was  now  either  by  their  help  or  no  advance  whatever. 

The  loads  of  the  sleds  were,  of  necessity,  heavy,  the  gross  weight  of 
one  being  nearly  two  thousand  eight  hundred  pounds,  and  of  the  other 
two  thousand  five  hundred,  and  as  this  would  be  exclusive  of  the 
weight  of  any  of  the  party  who  would  ride,  the  dogs  would  be  closely 
pressed.  The  runners  of  the  sleds  were  shod  with  the  jawbone  of  the 
whale ;  and  the  usual  expedients  of  icing  when  necessary,  and  of  sub- 
stituting the  man-help  for  the  dog,  were  expected  to  have  place  on  the 
route.     The  foot  gear  had  been  well  provided. 

On  the  31st  when  the  party  neared  Cape  Lady  Pelly,  musk-ox 
tracks  were  found  to  be  numerous.  The  sleds  needing  re-icing^  the 
mixture  was  made  up  of  snow-water  and  urine,  forming  a  more  durable 
compound.  The  cache  left  in  1868  at  Cape  Weynton  was  found  undis- 
turbed ;  part  of  the  stores  were  used,  the  remainder  were  re-deposited 
for  the  return  supply.  The  journey  now  was  westward.  But  the 
Innuit  delays  from  this  moment  renewed  themselves.  Some  of  them 
rode  lazily  on  the  sleds,  one  was  asleep  in  midday.  Hall  seemed  to 
have  wondered  that  none  cared  for  his  search,  but,  at  the  same  time 
he  wondered  that  the  party  made  what  advance  they  did,  as  the  sledges 
frequently  sank  down  full  six  inches,  and  at  times  were  completely 
blocked.  The  route  was  with  difficulty  determined  by  any  observa- 
tions; dependence  was  therefore  necessarily  laid  upon  native  experi- 
ence and  instincts.  At  one  of  the  "encampments,"  when  desiring  to 
record  its  location,  he  wrote :  — 


260 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


"  It  is  no  wonder  that  my  dead  reckoning  may  be  faulty  with  but 
the  aid  of  a  small  compass  across  the  plains  of  an  unknown  country, 
snow-clad ;  thick  weather ;  much  of  the  time  snowing ;  no  object  what- 
ever in  sight  to  aid  in  making  straight  courses ;  large  variation  of  com- 
pass ;  no  sight  of  sun,  moon,  or  stars  by  which  to  determine  latitude  or 


setti>;g  out  for  king  william  land. 


variation  of  the  compass,  —  I  can  determine  by  astronomical  observa 
tions  only,  the  errors  which  are  possible." 

On  the  10th  of  April  the  dogs  scenting  new  igloos,  were  immediately 
inspirited  to  make  a  very  rapid  run.  They  overturned  sleds  and  travel- 
lers. The  native  guide.  Papa  Tewa,  became  evidently  alarmed,  but 
Hall  urged  the  party  forward.  Apprehensions  of  a  hostile  meeting  had 
not  been  wanting,  and  Jerry  was  sent  cautiously  forward,  but  he  soon 
reappeared  with  a  signal  of  peace  from  the  newly  found  huts.  From 
one  of  them  an  old  man  and  his  wife  made  their  appearance,  armed 
each  with  a  long  knife,  but  offering  a  welcome ;  the  man  proved  to  be  a 


KING  WILLIA>I  LAND. 


261 


brother  of  the  old  chief  whom  Hall  had  met  two  years  before.  In  his 
hut  were  found  several  articles  which,  he  said,  had  come  out  of  a  ship 
sunk  on  Kik-i-tuk,  King  William  Land.  He  told  much  the  usual  story 
of  the  ship  and  of  the  men  who  had  perished. 

These  people  were  miserabl}'-  wretched  in  their  poverty.  They  had 
lost  nearly  all  their  dogs  by  the  oft  prevalent  disease  which  destroys 
them  in  numbers,  and  had  no  food  whatever,  except  a  few  seal  bones 
with  putrid  meat  upon  them,  nor  had  they  fuel  for  fire.  Hall's  com- 
pany barely  made  out  to  obtain  some  drinking  water  by  the  help  of  a 
little  fire  shrub  (the  Andromeda  tetragond)  gathered  from  beneath  the 
snow.     Hall  fed  the  hungry  in  the  hut. 

But  from  some  news  commu- 
nicated to  Hall's  party,  they  be- 
came yet  more  alarmed,  still  he 
persuaded  them  to  go  forward. 
On  the  18th  of  the  month  they 
encamped  on  Simpson's  Lake 
in  lat.  68°  30'  22"  N.,  Ion.  91° 
31/  W.,  where  a  musk-ox  was 
secured  and  a  full  supply  en- 
joyed by  all.  Hall  remarks 
that  the  greater  part  of  what' 
was  killed  went  down  the  In- 
nuit  paunch ;  "  and  as  for  one  of  them,  Nu-ker-zhoo,  he  is  a  regular 
hog,  eating  more  than  any  two  others,  feeding  his  dog  on  the  choicest 
pieces,  and  having  no  shadow  of  regard  for  others." 

May  30,  more  igloos  were  seen  and  proofs  of  their  being  occupied ; 
another  advance  was  made,  further  preparations  being  taken  for  de- 
fence. Within  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms  of  the  huts,  two  of  the 
party  were  sent  forward,  knives  in  hand ;  but  they  found  the  strangers 
willing  to  be  friends.  The  man,  of  whom  Hall  had  more  than  once 
heard,  as  the  one  knowing  the  most  about  the  ships,  In-nook-poo-zhee- 
jook,  hastened  to  meet  him. 

The  first  question  asked  was  "  Nou-ti-ma  Aglooka  ?  "  (where  is  Cro- 
zier  ?  )  and  the  first  thing  shown  was  a  large  silver  spoon  with  an  eel's 


HALL'S  BELT  AND  TABLET-COVERS  FOB 
HIS  NOTES. 


262 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


head  crest — Franklin's.  An  encampment  was  immediately  made,  the 
natives  cutting  out  their  snow-blocks  for  the  igloos  with  knives  which 
had  come  from  the  ships.  The  hut  was  full  of  things  from  them,  and 
Hall  readily  made  his  purchases.  The  old  man  sketched  for  him  the 
land  he  was  to  visit,  directed  his  route,  and  fed  him  on  accounts  of  the 
Franklin  men.  Taking  him  upon  his  sled,  Hall  went  forward  to  find 
a  place  on  which  some  white  men  were  buried ;  the  native  led  him  by 
a  straight  course  to  the  desired  spot  on  Todd's  Islands. 

On  one  of  these  islets  he  fixed  him- 
fcself,  and  immediately  set  out  to  search 
f  r  the  graves,  finding,  however,  part 
{ 1  ily  of  a  human  skeleton.  Crossing 
tlie  second  day  to  the  mainland,  after 
h  lurs  of  weary  labor  in  digging  down 
into  the  snow  covering,  his  attendants 
found  one  entire  unburied  skeleton ; 
over  this  a  pile  was  built  up,  but  the 
gale  and  the  hardness  of  the  snow  de- 
barred further  search,  nor  was  greater 
success  the  result  of  continued  search 
at  other  points.  During  his  stay  with 
the  natives  on  this  visit,  he  felt  satis- 
fied that  he  could  now  account  for 
probably  seventy-nine  of  the  one  hun- 
dred and  five  men  of  Crozier's  party  from  the  abandoned  ships.  They 
told  him  that  Ag-loo-ka  (Crozier)  had  come  along  near  their  tents,  his 
telescope  hung  about  his  neck,  and  his  men  dragging  two  boats ;  he  had 
a  gun  in  his  hand,  but  on  seeing  him  lay  it  down,  the  Innuits  laid  down 
their  spears ;  he  told  them  about  the  ice  destroying  their  ship,  and  of 
the  men  who  had  died,  and  said  that  he  was  going  to  Iwillik  (Repulse 
Ba}'^),  making  motions  with  his  hands  in  that  direction.  They  also 
said  that  the  Innuits  had  left  them,  knowing  that  they  were  starved 
men. 

Hall  reproved  them  sharply  for  deserting  Crozier.     It  would,  how- 
ever, seem  probable  that  they  did  so  under  the  fear  that  Crozier's  larger 


IVORY   KM  YES. 


f 


hall's  unwilling  return.  263 

party  would  starve  them  out;  and  here  the  remark  seems  to  force 
itself,  that  the  terrible  loss  of  Crozier's  large  party  must  have  been  the 
result  of  the  failure  to  secure,  before  the  ships  sank,  enough  of  con- 
densed provisions  for  their  land  journey,  and  of  his  not  having  native 
helpers  as  part  of  his  crew,  on  whom  he  might  have  depended  as  later 

FAC-SIMILE  OF  A  PAGE  OF  HALL'S  FIFTY-TWO  NOTE-BOOKS 
OF  THIS  JOURNEY. 

explorers  have  always  done  for  guidance  and  for  success  in  the  hunts. 
This  success  might  have  been  looked  for  from  experienced  Inuuits  at 
the  season  of  the  fatal  march,  the  middle  of  June. 


RETURN   TO   THE  BAY. 


The  final  return  journey  was  now  begun.  All  the  natives  who  had 
gone  with  Hall  were  anxious  to  be  safe  back  at  Repulse  Bay,  Nu-ker- 
zhoo  declaring  that  unless  they  started  back  in  four  days,  the  ice  and 


264  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

snow  would  be  off  the  sea,  and  they  would  have  very  great  trouble. 
The  journey  to  Terror  Bay,  on  the  west  side  of  the  island,  where  it  was 
said  a  tent  had  once  been  found,  the  floor  of  which  was  completely 
covered  with  the  remains  of  white  men,  and  even  a  shorter  journey  to 
Point  Richardson  were  therefore  given  up.  The  return  party  consisted 
of  fifteen  persons  with  a  team  of  eighteen  dogs,  one  of  these  not  being 
permitted  to  do  work  for  some  days  for  having  eaten  up  a  babe  which 
a  native  woman  had  thrown  away  on  finding  it  was  not  a  male.  In- 
nook-poo-zhee-jook  had  proved  so  skilful  a  guide  that  Hall  now  took  no 
account  of  his  courses,  but  gave  himself  up  to  the  noting  down  of  what- 
ever further  accounts  of  Franklin  men  he  could  glean.  The  cut  repre- 
sents a  page  of  these  notes  written  on  the  rough  sled. 

Just  before  reaching  Cape  Weynton,  Papa  Tewa  shot  a  mother  deer, 
which  fled,  leaving  the  fawn  to  have  its  life  "  footed  out,"  as  the  term 
is,  for  pressing  down  heavily  one  foot  over  the  young  heart.  From 
this  point  the  chief  items  of  interest  were  in  the  repeated  and  successful 
hunts  of  the  musk-ox.  The  natives  were  eager  for  the  hunt,  and  Hall 
himself  went  in  with  them,  killing  three  with  two  balls,  which  were 
found  lodged  in  the  third ;  Hannah  killed  four  young  ones. 

The  striking  points  of  these  hunts  are  illustrative  of  Innuit  customs 
and  of  the  habits  of  the  ox  wlien  attacked.  The  fight  was  at  the  place 
where  two  bands  were  successively  seen.  When  the  first  of  these  was 
surrounded,  as  soon  as  they  perceived  that  the  dogs  were  slipped,  they 
formed  into  their  usual  one  circle  of  defence,  "  a  musk-bull  battery  of 
nine  solid  battering  heads  and  twice  the  number  of  sharpened  horns." 
The  dogs  were  quickly  at  these  heads,  barking  and  jumping  back  and 
forward,  while  the  hunters  made  no  haste  to  advance,  for  they  knew 
that  the  bulls  would  stand  their  ground  all  day  if  no  other  enemies 
came. 

"After  a  few  minutes'  watch  of  the  movements  of  dog  versus  bull 
and  bull  versus  dog,  the  old  hunter,  In-nook-poo-zhee-jook,  went  forward 
to  within  twelve  feet  of  a  large  bull,  carrying  a  lance  which  had  a  line 
attached  by  which  he  could  draw  it  back  ;  but  at  his  second  throw,  the 
wounded  and  infuriated  bull  made  a  fearful  forward  plunge,  from  the 
effects  of  which  the  hunter  and  his  companions  escaped  only  by  a  very 


LETTER  TO  MR.   GRINNELL.  265 

timely  jump  to  the  left.  The  bull  was  soon  again  brought  to  bay. 
Ou-e-la  then  pulled  trigger  on  another  noble  bull  of  the  circle  of 
defence,  and  Pa-pa  shot  the  one  which  had  been  lanced,  when  at  the 
noise  of  these  guns  the  whole  circle  bolted  away,  except  two,  who  stood 
their  ground,  side  by  side,  long  after  the  whole  fight  was  ended,  and 
even  when  the  dogs  were  driven  away  from  them  and  stones  had  been 
thrown." 

"  Instead  of  moving,  each  of  these  two  kept  throwing  his  massive 
head  down  between  his  forefeet,  rubbing  the  tip  of  each  horn  against 
the  foreleg  as  one  would  rub  a  razor  on  a  strop.  This  is  the  animal's 
habit  unless  he  finds  himself,  when  attacked,  near  some  large  stone 
which  he  may  use  for  the  same  purpose  of  sharpening  his  horns.  The 
work  of  death  upon  the  others  of  this  band  and  upon  the  second  band, 
was  completed  by  the  rest  of  Hall's  men  with  guns,  spears,  and  the 
bow." 

The  number  of  oxen  killed  on  this  return  journey  numbered  seventy- 
nine  ;  their  skins  weighed  nearly  nine  hundred  pounds.  As  many  as 
eighteen  deer  also  were  taken,  and  the  supply  of  small  game  was  as 
good.  Hall  felt  prompted  to  write  that  if  Crozier  had  enjoyed  the 
facilities  which  he  now  had,  the  lost  men  would  have  been  saved. 
Before  the  close  of  the  month  his  party  were  congratulating  them- 
selves on  the  abundance  laid  up  for  feasting  and  on  an  entire  surrender 
of  themselves  to  repose. 

In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Grinnell  to  be  forwarded  if  occasion  offered  before 
his  own  return  to  the  States,  he  summed  up  the  results  of  this  visit  espe- 
cially as  to  the  finding  of  some  of  the  remains  of  the  missing  navigators, 
and  determining  anew  that  the  "  Erebus  "  and  "  Terror  "  had  indeed 
made  the  long  desired  northwest  passage,  and  had  perished  there. 

The  substance  of  the  letter  was,  that  he  had  intended  to  make  tliis 
journey  the  season  previous,  but  had  visited  Melville  Peninsula  with 
the  ardent  expectation  of  rescuing  there  some  of  Franklin's  lost  com- 
panions, and  that  on  his  late  journey  to  King  William  Land  he  had 
foimd  the  following  traces  of  Crozier's  sad  liistory :  —  that  late  in  July, 
1848,  with  about  forty  men  he  had  passed  down  the  west  coast  near 
Cape  Herschel,  his  party  dragging  two  sleds  ;  that  just  before  reaching 


266  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE   ZONES. 

the  cape  he  had  encamped  near  four  families  of  natives  who,  in  the 
night,  had  left  the  suffering  party ;  that  the  skeleton  of  one  of  the 
party  found  by  McClintock  had  never  been  seen  by  the  natives ;  that 
east  of  Pfeffer  River  on  the  sea  shore  two  had  died  and  been  buried  ; 
that  five  miles  eastward,  another  had  been  buried ;  that  on  Todd's 
Islet  were  the  remains  of  five ;  that  on  the  west  of  Point  Richardson, 
Poo-yet-ta,  known  to  Sir  John  Ross,  had  seen  an  awning-covered  boat 
with  the  remains  of  more  than  thirty;  and  that  a  little  way  inland 
from  Terror  Bay  a  large  tent  was  known  to  have  had  its  floor  covered 
with  remains. 

Hall  further  wrote  that  he  had  tried  hard  to  accomplish  more,  be- 
lieving that  he  could  have  gath- 
ered up  the  remains  of  many  more 
of  the  unfortunate  men,  and  might 
have  recovered  the  manuscript  rec- 
ords spoken  of  to  him  as  deposited 
in  the  vault  at  Cape  Victory,  but 
that  not  one  of  his  company 
would  on  any  account  whatever 
remain  with  him  for  a  summer 
search,  for  which  refusal,  he  did 
not  blame  them,  knowing  as  he  did  the  character  of  the  strange 
natives.     He  said:  — 

"  I  could  readily  have  gathered  great  quantities  of  the  relics  of  the 
expedition  for  they  are  now  possessed  by  natives  all  over  the  Arctic 
regions  from  Pond's  Bay  to  Mackenzie  River;  I  had  to  be  satisfied 
with  taking  upon  our  sleds  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  total 
weight  including  part  of  one  side  of  a  clinker-built  and  copper-fastened 
boat,  a  small  oak  sledge-runner,  piece  of  the  mast  of  the  ship  which 
made  the  passage,  a  chronometer  box  with  the  queen's  broad  arrow  en- 
graved on  it,  a  mahogany  writing-desk,  and  many  pieces  of  silver  plate, 
forks  and  spoons,  parts  of  watches,  and  knives  bearing  crests  and 
initials  of  the  owners.  The  ship  which  made  the  passage  with  five 
men  on  board  was  found  by  the  Ook-joo-lik  natives  near  O'Reily  Island 
lat.  68°  30'  N.,  Ion.  99  W.,  early  in  the  spring  of  1849." 


PARTS  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN'S  DESK. 
Exhibited  at  the  U.S.  Centennial  (deposited  at  the  Smithsonian). 


TWO   NEW  VOYAGES   PROPOSED.  267 

AN  ARCTIC   STJMMER. 

The  temperature  during  July  was  high,  and  rains  and  storms,  fre- 
quent, the  storms  coming  generally  from  S.S.E.  and  N.E,  The  lowest 
readings  of  the  thermometer  at  night  were  from  40°  to  46°,  and  the 
highest  at  noon  from  60  to  71°.  A  storm  on  the  19th  was  accompanied 
by  sharp  lightning.  Hannah  told  Hall  that  in  her  country  lightning 
was  always  fatal  to  red  dogs ;  her  people  always  killed  them  when 
young.  The  plains  were  now  purple  with  the  wild  saxifrage  (saxi- 
fraga  oppositifolia) ;  its  beautiful  flowers,  followed  by  those  of  other 
floral  tribes,  clothed  the  earth  with  carpets  of  gold,  crimson,  blue,  white, 
pink,  and  straw-color.  The  Andromeda  tetragona^  so  often  used  as 
the  shrub  fuel,  itself  bore  pretty  flowers.  Hall's  collection  of  wild 
flowers  embraced  a  dozen  varieties.  Mosquitoes  were  very  num- 
erous and  persistent;  a  walk  on  shore  seemed  unbearable,  unless 
every  exposed  part  of  the  body  was  covered  with  a  defence.  Hall's 
was  coal-oil. 

He  was  now  for  some  weeks  solicitous  as  to  his  return  home.  Con- 
scious that  he  could  accomplish  nothing  further  of  research,  he  purposed 
to  publish  the  results  of  his  protracted  Arctic  experience,  and  then  make 
a  voyage  to  the  Pole,  on  which  subject  he  had  long  meditated;  then 
again  to  return  to  King  William  Land.  The  expression  of  such  pur- 
poses comes  strangely  from  one  whose  sledge  journeys  only  during  the 
five  years  now  ended,  footed  up  more  than  four  thousand  miles.  Noth- 
ing but  the  extreme  of  a  strange  fascination  with  an  uncouth  life  can 
explain  this.  He  says  himself  that  whatever  food  the  natives  delighted 
in  delighted  him ;  that  he  had  enjoyed  a  grand  good  feast  on  the  kind  of 
meat  he  had  been  longing  for,  "the  deer  killed  last  fall,  rotten,  strong, 
and  stinking,  and  for  these  qualities  excellent  for  the  Innuits  and  for 
the  writer."  This,  however,  must  not  be  taken  as  an  indication  of  any 
sympathy  with  the  low  and  immoral  practices  he  was  compelled  to  wit- 
ness. Unable  to  restrain  the  demoralization  brought  on  by  large  suc- 
cesses in  the  hunts  when  the  Innuits  ate  three-fourths  of  their  food  for 
the  mere  pleasure  of  eating,  he  was  yet  more  pained  by  the  fact  that  the 
hunts  were  made  occasions  for  promiscuous  concubinage.    This  was  the 


268  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

constant  practice.  Hannah  said  she  "  would  rather  die  right  away  than 
stay  at  the  bay." 

While  he  was  hoping  for  the  sight  of  a  whaler,  he  succeeded  with 
native  help  in  gumming  nearly  eight  hundred  pounds  of  bone  from  the 
whale  cached  the  year  previous,  on  the  sale  of  which  and  of  his  musk-ox 
skins  he  was  expecting  to  repay  some  of  the  costs  of  the  voyage. 
But  now  the  question  of  the  possibility  of  his  being  compelled  to 
attempt  in  his  frail  boat  a  voyage  to  York  Factory,  Hudson's  Bay, 
without  a  chart,  was  happily  settled  by  the  arrival  of  the  "Ansell 
Gibbs  "  of  New  Bedford,  on  board  of  which  vessel  he  took  up  his  quar- 
ters with  Eskimo  Joe,  Hannah,  and  her  adopted  child  Pun-na;  at 
Ig-loo-lik  two  years  before  he  had  bartered  a  sled  for  this  child,  to 
console  Hannah  for  the  death  of  her  own  babe. 

The  whaler  left  the  Welcome  August  28th,  passed  through  Hudson's 
Bay  and  Straits  without  the  occurrence  of  any  incident  of  unusual 
interest,  and  came  into  the  harbor  of  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  September 
26,  1869. 

When  nearing  the  lighthouse  of  Nantucket,  Mass.,  Hannah  and  her 
child  doffed  their  native  dresses  for  those  of  a  civilized  land.  At  the 
Parker  House,  New  Bedford,  Hall  made  his  last  journal  entry,  Septem- 
ber 26,  1869,  2  P.M. :  "  How  thankful  to  high  Heaven  ought  my  poor 
heart  to  be  for  the  blessed  privilege  of  again  placing  my  foot  upon  the 
land  of  my  country." 

He  immediately  telegraphed  his  arrival  to  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell, 
expressing  his  hope  of  seeing  him  in  a  few  days  in  New  York,  and 
within  the  next  month,  was  at  work  in  that  city  for  his  North  Polar 
Expedition  of  1871. 


HOENS  OF  MUSK-OX  AND  DEEK  SHOT  BY  HANNAH. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE  NORTH  POLE  EXPEDITION  OF  1871. 

hall's  early  desire  TO  REACH  THE  POLE  —  LECTURE  IN  WASHING- 
TON —  APPROPRIATION  BY  CONGRESS  —  THE  "  POLARIS  "  SAILS  FROM 
NEW  YORK  —  ARRIVES  AT  FISKERNAES — U.S.S.  "CONGRESS"  AT  GOD- 
HAVN  —  HANS   HENDRICK  —  TESSUISSAK  —  NORTH  WATER  REACHED 

—  THE  "POLARIS"  BESET  AT  82°  16'  —  CONSULTATION  —  DRIFT  TO 
THE  SOUTH — ANCHORED  TO  PROVIDENCE  BERG  —  WINTER  QUARTERS 

—  SLEDGE  JOURNEY  —  DEPOSIT  IN  THE  CAIRN  —  HALL's  DEATH  AND 
BURIAL  —  WINTER  OF  1871-72  —  AURORAS  —  RETURN  OF  THE  SUN  — 
THE  "  POLARIS  "  LEAVES  THE  HARBOR  —  DRIFTS  SOUTH  —  THE 
SEPARATION  —  THE  SHIP  LEAKING  —  HOUSE  ON  THE  FLOE  —  DRIFT 
OF  THE  FLOE  PARTY  AND  RESCUE  —  RELIEF  SHIPS  SENT  FOR  THE 
"  POLARIS  " —  DeLONG's  CRUISE  —  RESCUE  OF  THE  "  POLARIS  "  PARTY 
BY  THE  "  RAVENSCRAIG  " —  HALL's   MEMORIALS  —  MEDAL  AWARDED 

—  TABLET  PUT  UP  BY  THE  ENGLISH  EXPEDITION  —  THE  ESKIMOS 
KUD-LA-GO,  JOE,  HANNAH,  OUSE-GOONG,  AND  ABBOT  —  GRAVES  AT 
GROTON,  CONN. 

DURING  each  of  Hall's  two  residences  among  the  Eskimos  he 
repeatedly  spoke  of  his  hope  to  lead  an  Expedition  toward  the 
Pole ;  writing  to  a  friend  as  early  as  1863,  "My  third  voyage  will 
be  to  the  northern  axis  of  the  great  globe."  He  renewed  like  expres- 
sions in  the  notes  of  his  Second  Voyage,  and  wrote  to  the  Committee 
of  U.  S.  Senate  on  Foreign  Affairs,  March  29,  1870,  that  for  years  he 
had  held  this  in  mind. 

In  the  beginning  of  that  year,  on  a  visit  to  Washington  City,  he  had 
called  upon  President  Grant,  and,  not  long  after,  lectured  before  him 
in  response  to  an  invitation  signed  by  the  Vice-President  and  members 
of  the  Cabinet  and  of  Congress  then  in  session.  After  a  laborious  and 
anxious  season  of  suspense,  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  an  appropriation 
for  an  Expedition  to  the  North  Pole,  in  the  sum  of  850,000,  by  a  clause 
incorporated  in  the  Legislative,  Executive,  and  Judicial  Appropriation 
Bill,  approved  by  the  President  July  12,  1870.     Eight  days  afterward, 

269 


270  AMERICAN  EXPLOBATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

he  received  a  commission  as  Commander  of  the  Expedition,  which 
required  him  to  report  to  the  Secretaries  of  the  Navy  and  of  the  Interior 
Departments  for  detailed  instructions.  The  Act  authorized  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  to  employ  any  suitable  vessel  in  the  Expedition,  and 
provided  that  the  scientific  operations  should  be  prescribed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  advice  of  the  National  Academy  of  Sciences. 

The  vessel  selected  as  available  for  the  purpose  was  the  steamer 
"Periwinkle,"  a  tug  which  had  seen  some  service  in  the  war  of  the 
rebellion ;  her  burden  was  three  hundi-ed  and  eighty-seven  tons.  After 
being  newly  and  heavily  timbered  and  strengthened  in  her  side  plank- 
ing, the  bottom  was  thoroughly  calked,  then  double-planked,  calked 
and  coppered.  Everything  else  deemed  necessary  for  safety  and  com- 
fort was  also  done  with  such  care  that  "  no  vessel,  even  if  especially 
built,  could  have  been  better  adapted  to  the  service."  *  Launched  at 
the  Washington  yard,  April  25,  1871,  she  was  named  by  Hall  the 
"  Polaris,"  under  which  name  she  sailed  for  New  York,  June  10,  and, 
after  further  equipment  at  the  Brooklyn  yard,  proceeded  to  New  Lon- 
don, June  29,  and  sailed  for  the  Arctic  Zone  July  3. 

Her  complement  of  officers,  including  the  scientific  corps,  was :  — 

C.  F.  Hall,  commander. 

S.  O.  Budington,  sailing-master. 

George  E.  Tyson,  assistant  navigator. 

H.  C.  Chester,  mate. 

William  Morton,  second  mate. 

Emil  Schumann,  chief  engineer. 

A.  A.  Odell,  assistant  engineer. 

N.  J.  Coffin,  carpenter. 

Emil  Bessels,  surgeon,  chief  of  scientific  staff. 

R.  W.  D.  Bryan,  astronomer. 

Frederick  Meyer,  meteorologist. 
The  crew  consisted  of  fourteen  persons,  and  the  two  Eskimos,  Joe 
and  Hannah,  were  again  Hall's  companions. 

*  This  endorsement  of  the  fitness  of  the  "Polaris"  for  Arctic  service,  quoted  from 
the  late  Admiral  Davis,  is  a  sufficient  answer  to  the  contrary  representations  made  by 
some  of  the  under  officers  of  the  ship,  and  on  that  authority  only  copied  in  foreign  pub- 


hall's  instructions.  271 

Secretary  Robeson's  instructions  to  the  Commander  advised  him 
that  he  might  expect  additional  supplies  through  a  transport  which  he 
would  meet  at  Holsteinborg,  or  at  Disco,  and,  that  after  receiving  these 
he  should  proceed  across  Melville  Bay  to  Cape  Dudley  Digges,  and 
thence  make  all  possible  progress  with  vessel,  boats,  and  sledges  toward 
the  North  Pole,  using  his  own  judgment  as  to  the  route  and  the  loca- 
tion of  his  winter  quarters.  The  operations  of  the  Scientific  Depart- 
ment being  required  by  law  to  be  in  accordance  with  the  advice  of  the 
National  Academy,  he  was  furnished  with  a  full  copy  of  their  sugges- 
tions, and  instructed  to  give  to  the  head  of  the  Scientific  Corps  every 
facility  in  carrying  these  into  effect.  Dr.  Bessels  was  to  remain  chief 
of  this  corps  in  the  event  of  the  death  of  the  Commander,  and  Captain 
Budington  to  continue  as  the  sailing  and  ice-master,  and  control  and 
direct  the  movements  of  the  vessel.  The  "  Polaris  "  was  provisioned 
and  equipped  for  two  and  a  half  years,  but  her  cruise  was  not  restricted 
to  this  period,  if  Hall's  objects  called  for  an  extension  of  time  and  his 
supplies  would  hold  out.  Appreciating  the  opportunities  which  might 
offer  for  the  extension  of  the  knowledge  of  geography  and  of  other 
sciences,  the  Secretary  added  to  his  instructions  relative  to  the  work  of 
the  Scientific  Corps,  that  any  and  all  individual  observations  or  collec- 
tions made  by  persons  outside  of  the  corps  should  be  considered,  as  is 
usual,  public  property,  and  placed  under  the  charge  of  the  chief  of  the 
Scientific  Department.  The  positions  of  capes,  headlands,  and  islands, 
and  the  coast-lines,  and  the  observations  of  tides  and  currents,  with 
the  making  of  surveys,  were  also  objects  of  the  Secretary's  instruc- 
tions, besides  the  detailed  suggestions  of  the  Academy  on  these  sub- 
jects, furnished  as  of  equal  authority. 

"  Hall's  own  views  of  Arctic  investigation,"  says  Admiral  Davis, 
"were  much  more  comprehensive  than  might  be  inferred  from  the 
means  and  material  employed  in  his  previous  Expedition.  His  own 
plan  embraced  two  vessels,  together  with  a  large  supply  of  dogs  and 
sledges.     If  he  could  have  carried  out  this  plan,  he  meant  to  maintain 

lications.  Admiral  Davis  used  this  language  to  express  the  result  of  his  inquiries  at  the 
Navy  Department  and  at  the  Washington  Navy  Yard,  at  which  yard  an  outlay  exceeding 
the  sum  of  $90,000  had  been  expended  on  the  "Periwinkle." 


272 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


an  occasional  communication  between  himself  and  the  civilized  world, 
wherever  he  might  be.     And  there  is  no  doubt  that,  for  the  accomplish- 


ment of  this,  he  would  have  turned  to  a  good  account  his  familiarity 
with  Eskimo  life,  language,  and  customs.     Thus  he  would  have  been 


PISKERNAES   AND   HOLSTEINBORG.  273 

able  not  only  to  report  progress,  but  to  receive  additional  aid  from 
home.  Such  was  his  expectation.  If  we  carry  our  minds  back  to 
the  history  of  Arctic  Exploration,  we  perceive  at  once  how  many 
evils  are  avoided,  and  how  many  advantages  reaped  by  this  joint 
co-operation."  * 

On  the  voyage  to  Newfoundland  the  "  Polaris  "  encountered  heavy 
weather  and  frequent  fogs.  On  the  10th  she  made  Cape  Race,  and  on 
the  12th  anchored  at  St.  John's.  Hall  here  again  received  every  cour- 
tesy and  attention  from  the  authorities  of  the  Province;  in  turn  he 
entertained  the  Governor  and  his  suite.  The  ship  left  St.  John's  for 
Greenland  on  the  19th,  and  on  the  27th  had  the  first  sight  of  high 
snow-covered  peaks,  and  of  welcoming  natives  in  their  kayaks.  The 
same  day  the  "Polaris"  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Fiskernaes, 
where  she  was  visited  by  Governor  Schoenheidter,  and  on  the  next 
day  by  the  greater  part  of  the  population,  especially  by  the  women. 
"  Some  of  these  were  thought  to  be  handsome ;  all  were  gayly  dressed, 
wearing  boots  of  well-tanned  seal-skin,  which  reached  above  the  knee, 
seal-skin  trousers  tastefully  ornamented  with  needle-work,  and  jackets 
covered  with  bright  cloth  and  trimmed  around  the  neck,  wrists,  and 
lower  edges  with  fur  and  pretty  bead  ornaments." 

After  a  visit  by  some  of  the  party  to  the  Moravian  Missionaries  at 
Lichtenfels,  who,  at  this  place,  have  care  of  more  than  half  of  the 
whole  number  of  Eskimos  of  Greenland  under  them,  the  ship  left  the 
harbor  and  anchored,  on  the  31st,  in  Holsteinborg.  At  this  port  a 
Swedish  Scientific  Expedition  under  the  command  of  Baron  Von  Otter, 
now  on  its  return  voyage,  brought  Hall  the  good  news  from  Uper- 
navik,  that  the  season  was  promising,  few  icebergs  having  been  seen 
between  Holsteinborg  and  Disco,  and  none  recently  between  Disco  and 
Upernavik.  Baron  Von  Otter  received  Hall's  first  dispatches  for  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy.  His  ship  expected  to  stop  at  St.  John's.  The 
"  Polaris  "  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  U.  S.  ship  "  Congress,"  the  trans- 
port which  was  to  renew  his  supplies  and  bring  further  instructions, 

*  Narrative  of  the  North  Polar  Expedition  of  1871,"  edited  under  the  direction  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  by  Rear- Admiral  C.  H.  Davis,  U.  S.  Naval  Observatorj-,  1876.. 
From  this  volume  chiefly  the  present  chapter  has  been  prepared. 


274 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE    ICE   ZONES. 


but  left  the  harbor  August  3,  and,  under  the  guidance  of  a  native  pilot, 
twentv-four  hours  afterwards,  was  safe  in  the  harbor  of  Godhavn.     On 


the  6th  the  Commander,  accompanied  by  several  of  his  people,  attended 
divine  service  in  the  neat  but  very  plain  chapel  of  the  Moravian  - 


HANS   HENDRICK   ENGAGED.  275 

Hymns  were  chanted,  passages  of  the  Scriptures  read,  prayers  offered, 
and  a  sermon  preached  by  the  Catechist  in  the  absence  of  the  regular 
clergyman.  The  Chief  Inspector  of  the  District,  Mr.  Smith,  who 
had  now  come  to  Godhavn  in  response  to  a  message  sent  by  a  boat 
journey  under  Mate  Chester  to  Rittenbeck,  was  visited  by  Hall  and 
by  Capt.  H.  K.  Davenport,  U.  S.  N.,  who  had  arrived  in  command  of 
the  transport,  the  "  Congress,"  and  whose  officers  on  landing  were 
saluted  by  a  battery  of  six  6-pounders,  which  was  returned  by  the 
'"Congress,"  the  Danish  flag  being  hoisted  at  her  mast-head.  The 
Inspector  very  cordially  responded  to  the  letters  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  presented  by  Capt.  Davenport,  consenting  to  receive  and 
care  for  in  the  Government  store-house,  the  stores  and  provisions  for 
the  use  of  the  Expedition,  —  the  "  Congress "  had  brought  sup- 
plies beyond  present  necessities.  Before  the  ship  left  the  harbor. 
Captain  Davenport  gave  "•  some  judicious  instructions  and  advice 
to  the  crew  of  the  '  Polaris,'  which,  considering  the  heterogeneous 
character  of  the  ship's  company,  was  well-timed " ;  had  it  been  fol- 
lowed, some  later  difficulties  might  have  been  prevented.  Rev.  Dr. 
Newman,  of  Washington,  Rev.  E.  D.  Bryan,  of  Carbondale,  Pa.,  and 
Capt.  James  Budington,  of  Groton,  Conn.,  (the  salvor  of  the  British 
ship  "  Resolute,"  )  passengers  on  the  "  Congress,"  returned  in  her.  The 
"  Polaris  "  left  Godhavn  on  the  17th,  and  the  next  day  Svartehuk  was 
on  the  starboard  beam,  distant  eight  miles  ;  and  at  1  a.m.  of  the  19th 
the  ship  anchored  in  Upernavik,  having  made  a  run  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  miles  in  thirty-three  and  a  half  hours.  The  inhabitants 
were  all  asleep,  and  were  not  easily  awakened ;  the  sun  at  midnight 
had  been  but  four  degrees  below  the  horizon,  and  it  was  then  but  one 
hour  and  a  half  to  his  rising. 

Mate  Chester  was  now  dispatched  in  a  boat  to  Proven,  fifty  miles 
southward,  to  bring  Hans  Hendrick  to  the  ship,  and  a  kayak  was  sent 
the  same  distance  northward  to  procure  Jansen  of  Tessuissak,  whose 
services,  however,  were  not  secured,  Hans  Hendrick  contracted  to 
serve  as  dog-driver  and  servant  at  a  salary  of  fifty  Danish  dollars  per 
month.  His  wife  and  three  children  came  on  board  the  "Polaris"  with 
their  luggage  of  bags,  boxes,  skins,  cooking  utensils,  tools,  implements 


276  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

of  the  chase,  and  three  or  four  puppies  whose  eyes  could  scarcely  bear 
the  light.  These  accompaniments,  as  on  the  Expedition  of  Dr.  Hayes, 
proved  a  nuisance  ;  Hans,  a  most  useful  helper.  He  did  not  recognize 
Morton  until  the  latter  had  pointed  out  some  scars  on  Hans'  right 
hand,  the  remains  of  injuries  from  a  powder  explosion  on  the  shore  of 
Kennedy  Channel.  Twenty  years  had  passed  since  the  two  had  made 
for  Kane  the  memorable  sledge  journey  to  Cape  Constitution  and  the 
reported  "  open  Polar  Sea." 

The  Upernavik  settlement  consists  of  some  twenty-two  houses  in- 
habited by  sixty  Eskimos.  They  appeared  even  less  cleanly  than  those 
in  the  more  southern  settlements.  Just  back  of  the  settlement  on  the 
slope  of  the  ridge,  is  a  graveyard,  distinguished  by  crosses,  head-boards, 
and  little  inclosures  marking  the  graves.  "  The  absence  of  vegetation, 
the  want  of  method  in  the  arrangement  of  the  graves,  and  the  dismal 
aspect  of  the  fragments  of  unsightly  rock  covering  the  surface,  added 
greatly  to  the  sadness  and  dreariness  of  that  northern  cemetery.  The 
hardness  of  the  ground  making  it  necessary  to  place  the  coffins  on  its 
surface,  and  cover  them  with  stones,  the  remains  in  the  course  of  time 
often  become  exposed."  At  this  settlement,  observations  for  position 
were  made  and  its  magnetic  elements  determined ;  collections  of  the 
fauna  and  flora  of  the  surrounding  country  were  obtained  and  its  geology 
studied.  Photographs  were  also  secured  of  Eskimo  life  and  habits.  The 
"  Polaris  "  took  on  board  five  tons  of  coal,  and  a  large  number  of  seal 
and  dog  skins ;  and  now  twelve  dogs,  added  to  a  pack  made  up  at  St. 
John's,  began  their  hideous  bowlings  on  board  ship.  On  leaving  the 
harbor,  dispatches  were  again  made  up  for  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
and  placed  in  the  hands  of  Governor  Rudolph,  who  sailed  on  the  21st 
for  Denmark  in  the  brig  "  Julianhope." 

August  24,  Hall  was  again  at  sea,  having  left  his  last  stopping-place, 
Tessuissak.  He  had  failed  to  secure  the  services  of  Jansen  to  accom- 
pany him  on  the  cruise,  but  was  skilfully  piloted  by  him  through  the 
narrow  channel  and  the  islets;  and  he  had  again  increased  his  dog 
teams,  and  seems  to  have  been  at  this  hour  of  "  striking  for  the  Pole," 
fully  satisfied  with  all  the  equipments  of  his  ship  and  the  promise 
before  him.     He  wrote  that  the  prospects  of  the  Expedition  were  fine, 


HALLS    BRIGHT    HOPES. 


277 


more  so  than  he  had  ever  hoped  or  prayed  for.     The  fog  which  even 
then  shut  down  upon  him  was  to  him  no  omen  of  evil. 


For  a  number  of  days  following  he  had  indeed  reasons  for  being 
strengtliened  in  every  ground  for  encouragement.     His  advance  was 


278  AJVIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

more  rapid  than  had  been  secured  on  any  former  Arctic  voyage.  For 
the  first  thirty  miles  of  her  course  from  the  harbor  the  ship  was  headed 
due  north,  careful  lookouts  being  posted  on  watch  for  the  coast  dangers 
as  the  fog  continued ;  at  noon  of  the  25th,  when  it  lifted,  all  sail  was 
set  to  a  freshening  breeze  and  Cape  York  was  soon  sighted.  Icebergs 
were  numerous,  and  the  pack-ice  more  than  once  encountered,  but  on 
running  westward  along  its  southern  edge,  the  "  Polaris,"  after  some 
buffeting  and  working  through  the  pack,  stood  on  a  course  about 
N.N.W.  true,  and  on  the  night  of  the  26th  left  the  Cape  behind  her. 
The  north  water  had  thus  been  favorably  reached  in  about  forty-eight 
hours. 

Crowds  of  walruses  were  now  seen  blackening  two  floe  pieces  which 
covered  areas  of  half  a  mile  each.  They  Avere  lazily  sleeping,  and 
showed  no  signs  of  apprehension  at  the  approach  of  the  ship  further 
than  to  roll  their  heads  lazily  about.  Huddled  closely  together  and 
offering  easy  range  to  each  floe  as  the  ship  passed  between  them, 
they  were  twice  fired  at  by  Eskimo  Joe,  but  with  the  success  only  of 
woundi^ng.  Captain  Hall  was  unwilling  that  the  ship  should  stop  for 
the  capture  of  any. 

Much  ice  was  again  found  off  the  northern  entrance  of  Wosten- 
holme  sound  ;  it  was  the  bay-ice  of  but  one  winter's  growth,  but  where 
it  was  closely  packed,  the  "  Polaris  "  had  a  difficult  task  to  get  through ; 
yet  at  midnight  of  the  26th  she  had  left  Fitz-Clarence  Rock  and  was 
opposite  Cape  Parry.  In  the  morning  of  the  27th  she  was  compelled 
for  the  first  time  to  stop  off  the  western  shore  of  Hakluyt  Island. 

For  the  ice  now  changed  its  character,  being  found  in  the  solid  and 
permanent  packs  which  had  accumulated  in  bays  and  straits  and  around 
the  outlying  islands.  Yet  the  ship  soon  made  new  advances,  Sailing- 
Master  Budington  succeeding  from  his  long-matured  Arctic  experience 
in  selecting  the  weakest  points  for  the  attack  and  working  through 
every  favorable  lead.  At  3  p.m.  he  was  opposite  Cape  Alexander  ;  at 
five,  he  had  passed  Littleton  Island ;  and  at  eight,  crossed  the  parallel 
of  Kane's  Rensselaer  Harbor.  Smith's  Sound  was  also  found  open. 
The  "Polaris"  was  already  in  higher  latitude  than  that  reached  on  this 
route  by  any  former  expedition. 


WALRUSES. 


279 


When  within  five  miles  of  Point  Joy  on  the   28th  the  ship  had 
rounded  the  northwestern  prolongation  of  the  pack,  she  was  in  com- 


paratively open  water,  and  in  sight  of  a  small  bay  whicli  soeiiud  to  be 
iuitiible  for  a  harbor.     Hall  was  disposed  to  put  into  winter  quarters 


280  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

here  and  then  push  forward  toward  the  Pole  by  sledges  on  the  ice,  but 
an  examination  of  the  bay  by  himself  and  Mate  Chester  showed  that 
the  water  was  not  quite  deep  enough  ;  the  "  Polaris  "  then  resumed  her 
course.  Steaming  another  hour  through  the  entrance  of  Kennedy  Chan- 
nel she  passed  Cape  Frazer,  and  running  along  the  land  at  a  distance  of 
five  miles,  rapidly  passed  Capes  Norton  Shaw,  McClintock,  and  Lawrence. 
On  the  29th  Cape  Leiber  was  distinguished  on  the  western  coast;  and 
at  1  P.M.  the  ship  entered  a  strait  some  twenty-five  miles  in  width  and 
worked  her  way  slowly  through  it  despite  of  the  increasing  thickness  of 
the  floes  and  the  force  of  the  currents.  During  the  night  and  for 
several  hours  in  the  early  part  of  the  30th,  she  was  kept  moving  toward 
the  north,  passing  immense  ice-fields  which  increased  with  the  latitude, 
but  at  6  A.M.  she  had  reached  the  northern  limit.  The  ice  was  so  com- 
pact that  it  was  impossible  to  force  the  vessel  through ;  it  was  firm  from 
one  coast  to  the  other ;  so  far  as  the  eye  could  penetrate  the  fog,  there 
was  no  open  space  to  the  north  and  no  sign  of  an  open  passage.  Hall 
was  in  front  of  an  impassable  barrier.  He  had,  however,  gained  a 
point  which  his  observations  gave  as  82°  26',  lat.  N.  from  which  deter- 
mination the  results  of  Mr.  Meyer's  careful  computations  differ  but 
ten  minutes. 

THE  DRIFT. 

But  it  became  impossible  to  keep  the  "  Polaris  "  at  this  point ;  she 
drifted  from  it  with  the  current,  and  on  the  30th  was  secured  to  a  large 
berg,  with  which  she  continued  to  driff  southward  until,  on  the  ice 
opening  somewhat,  she  was  cast  off  and  was  headed  for  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  channel,  where  a  harbor  was  promptly  sought. 

In  this  effort  Hall  was  twice  disappointed,  and  yet  it  seemed  evident 
to  all  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  force  a  passage  along  the  eastern 
coast  of  the  channel.  After  a  consultation  with  Budington,  Chester, 
Tyson,  and  Dr.  Bessels,  he  decided  to  make  an  attempt  to  get  to  the 
westward,  but  if  unsuccessful,  to  seek  immediately  a  harbor  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  the  strait.  Dr.  Bessels  had  coincided  with  him  in 
this  decision,  in  the  hope  that  a  passage  might  be  found  toward  the 
north  along  the  land  on  the  west  coast,  where  sledge-travelling  in  the 


%''' 


282  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

spring  might  be  more  practicable.  This  was  Hall's  great  desire  as  it 
had  been  that  of  Dr.  Hayes,  who,  however,  as  has  been  noted,  had  failed 
in  it  ten  years  before. 

Mate  Chester  had  given  his  opinion  that  they  should  save  what 
advance  had  been  already  made  in  place  of  risking  a  drift  to  the  south, 
or,  perhaps,  a  fatal  imprisonment  in  the  ice.  Tyson,  who  had  spent 
much  of  his  time  in  the  Crow's  Nest,  advised  Hall  to  seek  a  harbor  as 
soon  AS  possible,  and  if  the  ice  should  be  driven  out  of  the  channel, 
then  start  again  further  north.  Captain  Budington  had  pointed  out 
the  bay  which  he  wished  the  vessel  to  enter,  and  expressed  himself 
strongly  as  regards  the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  an  attempt  to  force  a 
passage  through  the  pack-ice  to  the  west.  The  three  officers  urged  that 
the  ship  had  done  what  she  could ;  that  the  west  coast  could  not  be 
reached  ;  that  the  young  ice  of  winter  had  already  begun  to  form,  and 
that  there  was  great  danger  of  losing  everything  unless  immediately 
a  safe  anchorage  should  be  secured. 

Hall's  decision  to  go  to  the  west  seemed  during  the  remainder  of  the 
31st  to  be  fully  justified  by  the  propitious  state  of  the  weather  and 
the  indications  of  open  water  to  the  north.  The  atmosphere  was 
very  clear,  distinctly  showing  both  shores  of  Kennedy  Channel,  which 
appeared  to  extend  far  to  the  north,  the  western  shore  the  further 
north  before  its  turning  to  the  west.  And  the  most  interesting  sight 
was  that  of  a  dark-looking  cloud  skirting  the  horizon  to  the  north  and 
northeast,  and  extending  almost  entirely  across  the  open  space  between 
the  two  coasts.  Some  of  the  ship's  company  thought  that  this  was  a 
water-cloud  indicating  the  existence  of  an  open  polar  sea ;  others  were 
certain  that  at  different  points  along  the  cloud  they  saw  plain  outlines 
of  land;  a  few  recognized  in  the  darkest  shade  near  the  horizon  a 
water-cloud,  but  in  the  lighter  portions,  only  a  fog-bank  ;  and  others 
again  contended  it  was  a  fog-bank  resting  against  a  mountainous  coast, 
and  that  where  it  occasionally  opened  they  could  distinctly  see  bold 
headlands. 

But,  whatever  may  have  been  the  true  character  of  these  appear- 
ances, presented  to  the  eyes  of  men  whose  excited  and  ardent  feelings 
at  such  an  hour  must  be  appreciated  by  all,  it  was  unfortunately  their 


THE   "POLARIS"    IN   THE  PACK. 


283 


irrepressible  consciousness  that  there  was  no  open  water  around  the 
vessel ;  and  from  the  mast-head  none  could  be  seen  except  occasional 


pools.     Although  the  "Polaris"  improved  every  possible   clianco  and 
opening,  she  made  but  twelve  miles  in  ff)ur  and  three  (quarter  hours; 


284  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

only  three  of  which  were  to  the  north.  Her  highest  advance  appears 
to  be  safely  recorded  at  82°  16',*  about  two  hundred  miles  north  of 
Kane's  highest,  and  fifty  miles  above  that  reached  by  Dr.  Hayes. 

In  the  first  four  days  of  September  the  "  Polaris "  drifted  to  the 
south,  a  distance  of  about  forty-eight  miles  in  a  direct  line.  On  the 
1st,  the  ice  driven  by  the  wind  pressed  upon  the  ship  so  closely  that 
every  man  was  ordered  to  hold  himself  in  readiness  to  leave  at  an 
instant's  notice ;  fears  were  entertained  that  damage  would  be  done 
to  the  propeller,  the  hoisting  apparatus  for  which  was  placed  in  posi- 
tion ;  unsuccessful  attempts  were  made  to  unship  the  rudder.  At 
7  P.M.  a  huge  berg  piled  up  masses  of  ice  before  the  vessel  and  gathered 
the  smaller  pieces  about  it;  the  hawsers  bent  to  the  ice-anchors  in 
the  floe  parted,  and  the  ship  heeled  over.  Twenty  feet  thickness 
was  pressing  upon  her  creaking  timbers  with  ice  piled  up  to  the  bul- 
warks ;  stores  and  provisions  were  placed  on  the  deck,  and  prepara- 
tions made  for  preserving  life ;  but,  two  hours  afterwards  the  ship 

*  It  seems  best  to  present  here  the  language  of  Admiral  Davis,  on  this  interesting 
point  of  the  history.  On  page 84  of  the  "Narrative  of  the  North  Polar  Expedition,"  he 
says,  "It  is  impossible  to  tell  the  precise  latitude  which  the  '  Polaris'  had  attained  when 
at  her  highest  northing.  Eighteen  hours  before,  her  position  had  been  accurately  deter- 
mined; from  that  point  her  place  was  carried  forward  by  dead  reckoning.  Two  separate 
log-books  were  kept,  in  which  the  courses  and  distances  were  correctly  entered;  two  patent 
logs  were  used  for  the  latter.  Messrs.  Bessels,  Bryan,  and  Meyer,  composing  the  scientific 
corps,  had  kept  regular  watch  from  the  departure  of  the  ship  from  Tessuissak  up  to  the 
time  when  her  progress  was  arrested.  They  also  kept  a  journal,  in  which  were  entered 
the  courses,  and  the  distances  (determined  by  one  of  the  separate  patent  logs) ;  and  this 
was  entirely  independent  of  the  ship's  log-book  kept  by  the  mate.  No  better  method 
could  have  been  adopted  for  securing  all  the  accuracy  possible  under  the  circumstances; 
yet  the  difficulties  and  interruptions  in  polar  navigation  are  so  unceasing  and  violent  that 
it  is  impossible  to  speak  of  results  like  these  as  being  anything  more  than  approximations 
to  the  truth. 

Again,  on  page  96,  speaking  of  the  ship's  position  after  the  renewed  attempt  to  work 
'northward  he  says:  "This  advance  placed  the  ship  in  lat.  82°  16' N.;  a  result  deduced 
from  observations  obtained  independently  of  those  which  had  given  her  position  at  6  a.m. 
of  August  30.  The  latter  was  determined  by  dead  reckoning  from  noon  of  the  preceding 
day;  the  former  started  from  the  latitude  of  the  southern  entrance  of  Repulse  Harbor; 
determined  by  Mr.  Meyer,  by  a  meridian  sub-polar  observation  on  June  30  of  the  next  year. 
This  reckoning  made  up  from  this  subsequent  observation,  takes  into  account  the  courses 
and  distances  only  without  allowance  for  current  or  drift.  "Where  so  many  disturbing 
causes  existed,  the  effect  of  which  cannot  now  be  estimated,  the  determination  must  be 
received  as  approximate  only. 


AT   ANCHOR. 


285 


righted.     On  the  2d  all  hands  were  busy  from  2  p.m.  till  midnight  in 
transferring  on  sleds  to  the  floe  sufficient  stores  and  coal  to  supply  the 


wants  of  the  ship's  company  during  the  winter.     On  the  3d  the  wind 
shifted  to  the  southeast  bringing  with  it  much  snow,  but  also  the  ap- 


286  A^IERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

pearance  when  this  liad  cleared  off,  of  indications  that  the  ice  would 
soon  open  and  give  another  chance  to  secure  a  safe  anchorage ;  on  the 
4th,  the  ice  was  cleared  from  the  propeller  well,  the  screw  shipped, 
the  stores  again  brought  back  from  the  floe,  and  the  ship  through 
a  passage  opened  byi:he  driving  northeast  wind  freed  herself  from  the 
ice.  By  midnight  she  was  close  in  upon  the  eastern  shore,  and  her 
anchor  was  dropped  in  ten  fathoms  of  water.  This  was  to  be  her 
position  for  many  weary  months. 


THE  HARBOR. 

The  harbor  at  last  found  was  no  snug  anchorage,  but  was  inside  of 
the  line  of  the  main  current  and  somewhat  sheltered  by  a  bold  cape  at  a 
distance  of  about  four  miles  north  and  west  of  the  ship's  place,  —  a  cape 
named  by  Hall  after  one  of  his  first  benefactors  in  Cincinnati,  Colonel 
James  Lupton.  A  huge  iceberg  gave  additional  and  lasting  security.  Its 
dimensions,  measured  by  Hermann  Siemens,  were :  length  four  hundred 
an(^  fifty  feet,  breadth  three  hundred  feet,  and  height  above  the  water 
sixty  feet;  under  the  usual  estimate  for  bergs,  this  height  being  counted 
as  one  third  of  the  whole  structure,  its  foundation  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  seemed  promising  of  stability,  and  so  proved  even  to  the 
saving  of  the  ship.  Hall  at  once  named  it  Providence  Berg.  He  had 
now  at  least  a  strong  security  from'  being  drifted  further  southward, 
and  from  being  thus  again  imprisoned,  or  his  ship  crushed.  Having 
submitted  to  the  decision  reached  by  a  second  consultation  that  any 
further  northward  advance  was  impossible,  he  promptly  acknowledged 
the  providential  preservation  which  had  been  given  and  the  successful 
advance  secured,  and  encouraged  his  officers  and  crew  with  the  hopes 
in  which  he  felt  himself  justified  in  indulging  that  by  sledge  journeys 
to  the  north  the  great  objects  of  the  voyage  could  be  entered  upon. 
First  of  all  he  would  secure  as  far  as  possible  present  safety  and  rest 
for  officers  and  crew.  A  large  quantity  of  stores  and  provisions  were 
landed  and  their  amount  still  further  increased  on  the  6th,  on  which 
day  a  search  for  a  better  harbor  was  unsuccessful.  For  this  landing 
two  whaleboats  with  planks  laid  across  were  employed  and  the  short 


288  AINIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   DST   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

trips  to  the  shore  rapidly  made.  When  the  sun  came  out  bright, 
observations  of  the  altitude  gave  the  termination  of  the  position  to 
be  81°  37'. 

The  land  as  seen  from  the  ship  consisted  of  broken  series  of  eleva- 
tions and  depressions  with  occasional  spurs,  the  mountain  ranges 
varying  in  direction  from  south  to  east,  and  in  elevation  from  nine 
hundred  to  one  thousand  four  hundred  feet,  several  prominent  peaks 
showing  themselves  in  the  furthest  range.  Their  argillaceous  schist 
had  spread  its  debris  over  large  surfaces,  but  to  no  depth ;  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  vegetation  being  found  except  a  few  lichens.  The 
debris  from  Cape  Lupton  reached  almost  to  the  seashore,  and  over  it 
boulders  were  scattered  in  every  direction.  In  some  few  places  near 
the  fresh-water  lakes  and  the  water-courses,  an  alluvium  had  been 
formed  which,  enriched  by  the  birds  in  great  numbers,  formed  garden 
spots  in  the  narrow  plain  between  the  seashore  and  the  ice-foot.  On 
this  plain  the  flora  of  the  brief  Arctic  summer  appeared. 

Among  the  remains  of  the  summer  tenting-places  of  Eskimos,  plain 
indications  were  found  that  a  large  party  had  passed  part  of  a  summer 
there.  The  remains  consisted  as  usual  of  the  stones  in  circles,  the  seal- 
skin tents  which  these  stones  had  kept  in  position  having  been  taken 
down  and  carried  away. 

After  this  discovery  of  the  traces  of  Eskimo  life  at  this  point,  Hall 
and  the  members  of  the  Scientific  Corps  set  out  for  the  summit  of  Cape 
Lupton  to  begin  the  survey  of  the  surrounding  coasts,  and  ascertain  the 
state  of  the  ice  in  Robeson's  Strait ;  the  party  being  provided  with  a 
small  Casella  theodolite,  a  pocket  aneroid  barometer,  and  a  pocket  pris- 
matic compass.  At  the  close  of  a  fatiguing  walk  over  the  plain,  covered 
in  some  places  with  deep  snow,  in  others  with  massive  boulders,  they 
came  to  the  deep  ravine  which  separates  the  cape  from  a  high  and 
steep  hill  which  had  received  the  name  of  Observatory  Bluff,  and  were 
here  brought  to  a  stand  as  to  the  readiest  way  of  climbing  the  cape. 
The  ravine  seemed  the  easier  of  ascent,  and  the  side  of  the  cape  facing 
the  ship,  very  difficult.  But  the  majority  of  the  party,  by  passing  up  a 
narrow  gorge  filled  with  fresh  snow,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit, 
an  elevation  of  more  than  one  thousand  three  hundred  feet,  Hall  being 


WINTER  QUARTERS,  LAT.  81°  3(/  N.  289 

the  foremost.  With  the  usual  experience  of  Arctic  travellers,  they 
found  tlieir  first  elevation,  when  gained,  to  be  not  the  end  of  their 
journey,  but  only  the  means  of  showing  to  them  a  second  or  third  sum- 
mit. From  the  true  highest  point  at  last  climbed,  the  western  coast 
was  very  distinctly  seen  as  far  as  the  Cape  Union  of  Dr.  Hayes,  and 
beyond  that  cape,  three  other  peaks.  The  sight  of  the  eastern  coast 
was  cut  off  by  a  projecting  cape.  The  channel  as  far  as  could  be  seen 
was  filled  with  closely  packed  ice,  with  no  water  cloud. 

Much  snow  now  began  to  fall  almost  daily,  and  the  ice  rapidly 
increased  in  thickness ;  it  was  difficult  to  keep  open  the  channel 
between  the  ship  and  the  shore.  An  opening  being  made  through 
the  frozen  slush  the  Observatory  was  taken  over,  section  by  sec- 
tion. Set  up  without  the  use  of  iron,  it  was  available  for  magnetic 
observations. 

From  altitudes  of  the  sun  taken  in  the  intervals  between  passing 
clouds.  Hall  deduced  61°  44'  W.  as  the  longitude  of  his  winter  quarters. 
These  were  now  improved  by  changes  which  provided  for  the  berthing 
of  the  whole  crew  below  deck,  and  for  economy  in  fuel.  To  provide 
to  the  utmost  for  the  comfort  of  the  ship's  company,  he  gave  up  his 
own  state-room.  On  shore  a  house  was  built  for  the  necessary  enter- 
tainments of  the  long  Arctic  winter  now  early  setting  in,  for  the  day 
was  becoming  sharply  defined ;  twilight  even  was  growing  faint.  The 
Eskimos,  Hans  and  Joe,  had  begun  their  successful  captures  of  the  seal 
and  of  some  of  the  little  game  which  had  not  yet  gone  south ;  they  had 
also  seen  traces  of  musk-oxen.  In  this  last  news  Hall  had  promise  of 
fresh  meat,  of  the  value  of  which  as  a  defence  against  scurvy  he  was 
well  aware.  The  weight  of  one  of  these  animals,  killed  before  the  close 
of  September,  was  nearly  four  hundred  pounds.  None  had  ever  been 
met  with  by  the  previous  Expeditions  on  the  west  coast  of  Greenland, 
although  found  in  large  numbers  on  the  eastern  coast,  and  on  the  main- 
land of  the  continents. 

Mr.  Bryan  and  Mr.  Meyer  were  frequently  engaged  in  surveys  of 
the  Bay  and  its  surroundings ;  one  of  their  excursions  for  this  purpose 
involving  much  hardship.  The  two  wore  the  ordinary  native  light 
foot-gear;   but  Mauch,  who  accompanied  them,  wore  heavy  cow-hide 


INSTRUCTIONS   TO   BUDINGTON.  291 

boots,  which  encumbered  his  walk,  and  occasioned  three  dangerous  falls 
through  the  ice  fissures  into  the  sea.  Bryan  and  Meyer  regained  the 
ship  after  midnight  in  a  state  of  complete  exhaustion,  and  Mauch's  life 
was  saved  only  by  a  search  made  by  Morton  and  Siemens,  who  found 
him  almost  unconscious. 

SLEDGE    JOURNEY    PROPOSED. 

At  morning  prayers,  October  10,  Capt.  Hall  announced  his  inten- 
tion of  starting  that  day  upon  a  sledge  trip,  the  object  of  whicli  was  to 
reconnoitre  and  select  the  best  route  for  his  spring  journey  toward  the 
Pole.  He  had  hoped  to  make  this  examination  before  the  close  of  the 
previous  month,  and  was  delayed  only  by  the  snow  being  not  deep 
enough  for  sled-travel  over  the  plain,  and  by  the  preparations  needed 
for  the  journey,  and  for  the  new  dangers  which  threatened  the  ship. 
September  27,  a  severe  gale  from  the  southwest  had  driven  the  pack 
in,  and  formed  large  hummocks  on  her  sides,  and  on  the  28th,  when 
his  preparations  had  been  made  for  leaving,  the  high  tide  in  connection 
with  a  breeze  from  the  same  quarter,  again  piled  up  the  ice  in  all  man- 
ner of  shapes.  It  became  necessary  to  veer  the  cable,  and  it  was  found 
when  the  pressure  ceased,  that  the  berg  had  been  forced  in  towards  the 
shore  one  hundred  yards,  and  the  ship  fifty  yards.  Had  she  not  been 
specially  fitted  for  arctic  service  by  the  strengthening  given  before 
leaving  the  United  States,  she  must  have  been  crushed.  During  the 
two  days  which  followed,  much  snow  fell,  the  wind  shifted  to  the  north, 
and  an  open  channel  was  formed  between  the  loose  pack  of  the  Strait 
and  the  floe  at  a  distance  from  the  vessel  of  about  three-fourths  of  a 
mile.  The  ship  being  safe,  and  some  necessary  arrangements  for  the 
further  preservation  of  the  stores  and  the  comfort  of  his  men  liaving 
been  made.  Hall  was  ready  to  start  north.  To  the  Sailing-master  he 
gave  specific  instructions  substantially  as  follows :  — 

First,  for  the  conduct  of  the  ship,  if  she  should  remain  safe  in  her 
winter  position,  of  which  he  "  felt  almost  certain,"  that  she  should  be 
banked  up  with  snow-blocks  cut  from  the  drift. under  the  lee  of  the 
neighboring  hill,  and  have  her  housing  put  up ;  that  the  watch  should 
be  continued  until  the  cook  commenced  his  morninj^  work  :  that  the 


292  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

most  cai'eful  economy  should  be  practised  in  the  consumption  of  coal, 
no  more  being  used  than  would  keep  the  thermometer  fore  and  aft 
at  50°  with  a  very  small  fire  only  through  the  night,  and  candle- 
light only  after  9  P.  m.,  and  that  the  remainder  of  the  stores  and 
provisions  should  be  placed  in  complete  order  on  the  plain  by  the 
observatory. 

But  under  the  possible  contingency  of  the  "  Polaris  "  being  driven 
from  her  position,  he  wrote :  "  A  full  storm  from  the  south  can  send 
the  pack  of  the  Strait  upon  the  land-pack  upon  which  we  are,  and  in  a 
few  moments  cast  the  'Polaris'  high  and  dry  upon  the  land;  or,  a 
storm  from  the  North  might  drive  the  ice  out  of  Thank  God  Harbor 
and  the  '  Polaris '  with  it ;  the  spring  tides  must,  therefore,  be  watched 
with  great  vigilance,  especially  during  any  gale  or  storm.  If  the 
'  Polaris '  should  drift  out,  she  must,  if  possible,  be  brought  back  to  her 
former  position ;  but  should  she  be  driven  into  the  moving  pack-ice  of 
the  Strait,  and  there  become  beset  and  unable  to  get  released,  then,  unfor- 
tunately, the  vessel  and  all  on  board  would  go  to  the  southwest,  drifting 
with  the  pack,  —  God  only  knowing  where  and  when  the  ship's  company 
would  find  means  to  escape.  It  might  in  this  case  be  that  such  a  drift 
movement  would  occur  as  in  the  case  of  the  United  States  Grinnell 
Expedition  of  1851-52,  and  of  the  '  Fox '  under  McClintock  in  1857-58^ 
but  whenever  the  '  Polaris '  should  get  released,  if  anywhere  between 
Cape  Alexander  and  Cape  York,  or  between  the  latter  and  the  Arctic 
Circle,  she  might  then  make  her  way  to  Godhavn,  Disco  Island,  and, 
if  she  should  remain  seaworthy,  be  filled  up  with  coal,  stores,  and 
provisions,  and  next  fall  (1872)  steam  hack  to  this  place.  If  the  vessel 
should  become  a  wreck  or  disabled  from  the  imminent  exposure  and 
dangers  of  such  an  ice-drift  as  referred  to,  then  all  possible  use  of  the 
best  judgment  must  be  brought  into  play  for  the  preservation  of  the 
lives  of  all  belonging  to  the  Expedition." 

"You  will,  at  your  earliest  moment  of  escape,  acquaint  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States  with  the  whole  of  the  circumstances ;  and 
should  one  of  those  circumstances  be  the  loss  of  the  'Polaris,'  I,  and 
my  small  party  that  is  about  to  accompany  me  on  the  proposed  sledge 
journey,  will   remain   here  to   make  discoveries   to  the  North  Pole, 


hall's  last  sledge  journey.  293 

using  Thank  God  Harbor  as  our  headquarters,  and  all  the  time  feel 
certain  that  our  country  would  lose  no  time  in  sending  us  aid  in  carry- 
ing out  the  great  object  of  the  present  Expedition." 

Captain  Hall  had  selected  Mate  Chester,  Joe,  and  Hans  to  accom- 
pany him.  At  the  start  at  1  P.  M.  it  required  the  half  of  some  of  the 
crew  to  assist  the  dogs  to  pull  the  heavily  loaded  sled,  which  made  but 
five  miles  before  the  party  went  into  their  first  igloo.  Hans  returned 
for  a  second  sled  and  more  dogs ;  Hall  had  set  out  with  but  twelve. 
Leaving  the  igloo  on  the  12th,  he  travelled  over  the  plain  to  the  north- 
east, keeping  along  the  foot  of  the  mountain  range ;  he  thought  that 
this  plain  was  once  a  river-bed.  At  1.30  p.  m.  of  the  13th  he  found  an 
icy  river,  the  course  of  which  was  in  the  direction  of  the  journey,  and 
travelled  with  ease  over  its  smooth  surface,  encamping  on  it  for  the 
night.  Fresh  water  was  obtained  by  Hans  by  cutting  through  the  ice. 
On  a  walk  the  next  day  along  this  river,  and  at  a  little  distance  inland, 
to  see  if  much  cattle  were  to  be  found.  Hall  was  disappointed  in  this, 
which  had  been  one  of  the  chief  expectations  prompting  this  trip. 
Except  a  few  lichens,  he  found  here  no  signs  of  vegetation,  nothing  to 
tempt  the  animals ;  but  he  thought  they  might  be  met  with  on  an 
extensive  plain  which  showed  itself  at  some  distance. 

On  the  18th  he  walked  to  the  top  of  a  high  cape,  finding  on  the  first 
elevation  ascended  a  boulder  twelve  feet  high,  covered  with  lichens. 
Further  on,  different  species  of  flowering  plants  and  grasses  were  seen 
up  to  the  mountain's  top.  From  the  summit,  the  land  on  the  west  side 
of  the  channel  appeared  to  run  to  the  north  and  east  until  it  ended  in 
a  cape  nearly  due  north,  turning  then  abruptly  to  the  west.  The  east 
coast  ran  to  the  northeast  and  disappeared  on  turning  to  the  east  at  a 
distance  of  ten  or  twelve  miles.  Across  the  straits,  far  away  to  the 
north  and  east,  a  cloud  was  seen,  but  Hall  could  not  determine  whether  it 
was  a  water-cloud  or  the  loom  of  the  latid.  After  spending  some  time 
in  surveying  and  examining  the  surrounding  country,  and  making  an 
unsuccessful  endeavor  to  round  the  cape,  he  determined  to  return,  and 
on  the  21st  began  to  retrace  his  steps.  The  day,  like  most  all  of  the 
others  during  this  sledge  journey,  was  so  foggy  as  to  make  it  quite 


294 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


impossible  to  take  good  sights  ;  it  would  have  rendered  useless  any 
time  spent  hunting  musk  cattle.  On  the  24th  he  sighted  the  masts  of 
the  "  Polaris." 

hall's   last   DISPATCH. 

On  the  20th  he  had  deposited  in  a  cairn,  x?f  which  the  cut  is  a  literal 
transcript  from  the  sketch  in  his  notes,  a  dispatch  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy,  which  is  presented  below  in  full,  as  the  last  ever  received 
from  or  pre"  ared  by  the  unfortunate  explorer.  Communicating  it, 
he  said : 

"  Chester  at  my  suggestion  took  one  of  the  boards  of  the  twenty- 
eight  pound  wooden  box,  that  I  ordered  to  be  taken  apart  last  evening 


THE  CAIRN. 


'B  vfiiiiii: 


B,  buried  cylinder;  C,  condensed  milk-canister,  filled  witb  sand;  D,  two  pound  meat-can;  E,  small  water-trench; 
A,  cairn.    10  F.  £.    This  stoue  of  slate  placed  at  A  In  the  ground,  face  up,  close  to  the  one  above,  which  is  vertical- 


Fog  and 

indistinct 

light. 


Cape  Brevoort  (N.  50  E  ?) 

Sixth  encampment  distant  43  of 

my  measures.    (N.  15  E.) 


(a  couple  of  pounds  of  which  we  used  last  night  in  making  scouse  (lob- 
scouse  or  olio),  and  six  quarts  of  extra  water),  and  with  his  knife,  cut 
in  bold  letters,  '  10  F.  E.'  (feet  east),  and  this  and  thirteen  other  pieces 
of  that  box  were  scattered  about  the  cairn.  It  was  not  without  diffi- 
culty that  we  found  stones  of  sufficient  size  and  number  with  which  to 
build  this  small  pillar.  Joe  dug  the  hollow  in  which  to  deposit  the 
copper  cylinder.  This  cylinder  was  one  of  those  specially  designed 
for  deposits,  and  was  rendered  air  and  water  tight  by  being  sealed 
with  white  bees-wax ;  at  the  bottom  I  placed  a  small  piece  of  board, 
then  on  either  side  two  other  pieces ;  and,  last,  on  the  top,  another ; 
then  we  covered  the  same  over  with  three  inches  of  shingle  of  the 
plain." 


hall's  last  dispatch.  295 

The  following  is  the  dispatch :  — 

"  Sixth  Snow-House  Encampment,  Cape  Brevoort, 

*'  North-side  entrance  to  Newman's  Bay,  Oct.  20,  1871. 

*'  To  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  Geoege  M.  Robeson. 

"  Myself  and  party,  consisting  of  Mr.  Chester,  first-mate ;  my  Eskimo, 
Joe,  and  Greenland  Eskimo,  Hans,  left  the  ship  in  winter  quarters, 
Thank  God  Harbor,  lat.  81°  38'.  North,  Ion.  61°  44'  West  at  meridian  of 
October  10th,  on  a  journey  by  two  sledges,  drawn  by  fourteen  dogs,  to 
discover,  if  possible,  a  feasible  route  inland  for  my  sledge  journey  next 
spring  to  reach  the  North  Pole,  purposing  to  adopt  such  a  route,  if 
found  better  than  a  route  over  the  old  floes  and  hummocks  of  the 
sti'ait  which  I  have  denominated  Robeson's  Strait,  after  the  honorable 
Secretary  of  the  United  States  Navy. 

"  We  arrived  on  the  evening  of  October  17,  having  discovered  a  lake 
and  a  river  on  our  way ;  the  latter,  our  route,  a  most  serpentine  one, 
which  led  us  on  to  this  bay  fifteen  minutes  (miles)  distant  from  here 
southward  and  eastward. 

"  From  the  top  of  an  iceUerg,  near  the  mouth  of  said  river,  we  could 
see  that  this  bay,  which  I  have  named  after  Rev.  Dr.  Newman,  extended 
to  the  high  land  eastward  and  southward  of  that  position  about  fifteen 
miles,  making  the  extent  of  Newman's  Bay,  from  its  headland  or  cape, 
full  thirty  miles. 

"  The  south  cape  is  high,  bold,  and  a  noble  headland.  I  have  named 
it  Sumner  Headland,  after  Hon.  Charles  Sumner,  the  orator  and  U.  S. 
Senator ;  and  the  north  cape,  Brevoort  Cape,  after  J.  Carson  Brevoort, 
a  strong  friend  to  Arctic  discoveries. 

"On  arriving  here  we  found  the  mouth  of  Newman's  Bay  open 
water,  having  numerous  seals  in  it,  this  open  water  making  close  both 
to  Sumner  Headland  and  Cape  Brevoort,  and  the  ice  of  Robeson's 
Strait  on  the  move,  thus  debarring  all  possible  chance  of  extending  our 
journey  on  the  ice  up  the  Strait. 

"  The  mountainous  land  (none  other  about  here)  will  not  admit  of 
our  journeying  further  north  ;  and  as  the  time  of  our  expected  absence 
was  understood  to  bfe  for  two   weeks,  we   commence  our  return  to- 


296  AIMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

morrow  morning.     To-day  we  are  storm-bound  to  this  our  sixth  en- 
campment. 

"  From  Cape  Brevoort  we  can  see  land  extending  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Strait  to  the  north  22°  West,  and  distance  about  seventy  miles, 
thus  making  land  we  discover  as  far  as  lat.  83°  5'  North. 

"There  is  appearance  of  land  farther  north,  and  extending  more 
easterly  than  what  I  have  just  noted,  but  a  peculiar  dark  nimbus  cloud 
hangs  over  what  seems  may  be  land,  and  prevents  my  making  a  full 
determination. 

"  August  30,  the  '  Polaris '  made  her  greatest  northing,  lat.  82°  29' 
North ;  but  after  several  attempts  to  get  her  farther  north,  she  became 
beset,  when  we  Avere  drifted  down  to  about  lat.  81°  30'.  When  an 
opening  occurred,  we  steamed  out  of  the  pack  and  made  harbor  Sep- 
tember 3,  where  the  '  Polaris '  is  (corner  of  manuscript  here  burned 
off).  Up  to  the  time  I  and  my  party  left  the  ship  all  have  been  well, 
and  continue  with  high  hopes  of  accomplishing  our  great  mission. 

"  We  find  this  a  much  warmer  country  than  we  expected.  From 
Cape  A)exander,  the  mountains  on  either  side  of  the  Kennedy  Channel 
and  Robeson's  Strait,  we  found  entirely  bare  of  snow  and  ice,  with  the 
exception  of  a  glacier  that  we  saw  covering,  about  lat.  80°  30',  east  side 
the  Strait,  and  extending  in  an  east-northeast  direction  as  far  as  can  be 
seen  from  the  mountains  by  Polaris  Bay. 

"We  have  found  that  the  country  abounds  with  life;  seals,  game, 
geese,  ducks,  musk-cattle,  rabbits,  wolves,  foxes,  bears,  partridges, 
lemmings,  etc.  Our  sealers  have  shot  two  seals  in  the  open  water 
while  at  this  encampment.  Our  long  Arctic  night  commenced  October 
13,  having  seen  only  the  upper  limb  of  the  sun  above  the  glacier  at 
meridian  October  12. 

"This  dispatch  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  I  finished  this  moment, 
8.23  P.M.,  having  written  it  in  ink  in  our  snow  hut,  the  thermometer 
outside  —  7°.      Yesterday,  all  day  the  thermometer  —  20°  to  23°. 

"Copy  of  dispatch  placed  in  pillar  Brevoort  Cape,  October  21, 
1871."* 

♦  The  original  draft  of  this  dispatch  was  brought  to  Washington  by  Eslcimo  Joe,  who 
had  carefully  preserved  it  in  Hall's  writing-desk,  which  he  had  picked  up  on  the  ice  after 


CAPTAIN   HALL  PARALYZED.  297 

At  9.40  A.M.  he  completed  the  cairn  and  deposited  the  document. 
The  monument,  two  feet  high  and  two  and  one  half  feet  at  its  base,  is 
on  the  brow  of  the  second  plain  frqm  the  sea,  about  fifty  feet  above  its 
level. 

DEATH   OF  CAPTAIN  HALL. 

Returning  from  the  sledge  journey.  Captain  Hall  stopped  a  few 
moments  to  converse  with  Dr.  Bessels  at  the  Observatory,  and  tnen 
went  immediately  on  board  the  "  Polaris,"  shaking  hands  with  those 
whom  he  met,  and  speaking  very  encouragingly  of  the  prospects  of  the 
expedition ;  adding  that  he  expected  in  a  couple  of  days  to  start  upoii 
another  sledge  journey.  On  drinking  a  cup  of  coffee  brought  to  him 
by  the  steward  he  was  immediately  taken  with  violent  vomiting  and 
retching  and  went  to  bed.  Dr.  Bessels,  on  examination,  expressed 
great  fears  that  the  sickness  might  be  fatal ;  at  8  p.m.  he  announced 
that  Captain  Hall's  left  side  was  paralyzed  and  that  he  had  had  an 
apoplectic  attack.  In  the  morning  of  the  2oth  he  was  much  better ;  in 
the  evening  he  suffered  again  much  pain  from  constant  efforts  to  vomit. 
On  the  26th  Dr.  Bessels  administered  quinine,  and  cold  compresses;  on 
the  27th  and  28th  Hall  was  again  much  worse,  and  on  this  day  and  the 
two  following  showed  marked  evidences  of  delirium.  From  this  lie 
seemed  to  recover  and  to  regain  some  strength,  employing  his  time 
in  getting  in  order  the  records  of  his  late  sledge  journey  and  dictating 
for  several  hours  to  his  clerk,  Mr.  Mauch.  But  on  the  night  of  the 
sixth  he  had  another  attack,  from  which  he  sank  into  a  comatose  state 
until  3.25  a.m.  of  the  8th,  when  he  expired. 

He  had  a  good  constitution  and  had  been  rarely  sick,  but  had  ex- 
perienced several  very  severe  attacks  during  his  Second  Expedition, 
on  his  return  to  Cincinnati  at  its  close,  and  while  preparing  to  sail  in 
the  "Polaris."  Two  attacks  had  been  those  of  vertigo.  The  severe 
strain  of  mind  to  which  he  subjected  himself,  coupled  with  the  dis- 

the  separation  of  the  floe  party  from  the  "  Polaris,"  October  15, 1872.  A  photo-lithograph 
will  be  found  in  the  second  edition  of  the  "  Polaris"  volume,  issued  after  the  death  of  the 
late  Admiral  Davis. 

The  dispatch  deposited  in  the  cairn  was  found  by  Dr.  Coppinger  of  th3  English  Arctic 
Expedition,  May  15,  1875,  and  sent  with  other  relics  by  the  British  Admiralty  to  the 
United  States  Government. 


298  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

appointment  experienced  by  his  being  able  to  make  no  further  northing, 
and  the  consciousness  that  no  one  of  the  heterogeneous  party  on  board 
the  "  Polaris  "  had  sufficient  sympathy  with  his  objects  to  relieve  him 
from  the  greatest  responsibilities,  were  in  all  probability  the  immediate 
occasion  of  the  fatal  result. 

At  the  close  of  an  extended  inquiry,  made  Dec.  26,  1873,  by  the 
request  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Surgeon-General  Barnes,  U.  S.  A., 
and  Surgeon-General  Beale,  U.  S.  N.,  after  the  return  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany, Dec.  26,  1873,  certified  that,  after  listening  to  the  testimony  of 
Dr.  Bessels  with  great  care,  and  putting  to  him  such  questions  as  were 
deemed  necessary,  from  the  circumstances  and  symptoms  detailed  by 
him  and  compared  with  the  medical  testimony  of  all  the  witnesses,  they 
were  conclusively  of  the  opinion  that  Captain  Hall  died  from  natural 
causes,  — viz.,  apoplexy,  and  that  the  treatment  of  the  case  was  the  best 
practicable  under  the  circumstances.     [Report  of  Sec'y  Navy  for  1873.] 

The  body  of  Captain  Hall,  after  being  prepared  for  burial,  was 
covered  with  the  national  flag. 

A  party  under  Mate  Chester  sent  on  shore  to  dig  the  grave  suc- 
ceeded after  the  fatiguing  efforts  of  two  days  in  excavating  the  frozen 
ground  to  a  depth  of  twenty-six  inches — the  seat  of  permanent  frost. 
"  It  was  daytime,  but  all  darkness  there  at  that  season,"  the  digging 
being  done  by  the  light  of  lanterns.  At  11  a.m.  of  November  10,  the 
ship's  bell  was  tolled,  the  coffin  placed  on  a  sled,  and  the  burial  pro- 
cession, headed  by  Assistant  Navigator  Tyson,  picked  their  way  again  by 
lantern  light  over  the  ice  to  the  grave  on  shore.  The  ground  was 
mostly  covered  with  snow.  At  the  close  of  the  burial  service  read  by 
Mr.  Bryan  "the  silence  which  followed  was  broken  by  the  sounds  of 
the  earth  on  the  cofltin  and  the  sobs  of  Hannah."  An  overwhelming 
calamity  had  fallen  on  the  sorrowing  company.  As  regards  the  object 
of  the  expedition  also,  it  was  a  fatal  issue. 

WINTER   ON   BOARD  THE   "POLARIS,"   1871-72. 

On  the  aeath  of  Captain  Hall,  the  command  of  the  expedition 
devolved  on  Captain  Budington,  who  promptly  signed  with  the  chief  of 
the  Scientific  Corps  a  paper  which  closes  with  the  words :    "  It  is  our 


300  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

honest  intention  to  honor  our  dear  flag,  and  to  hoist  her  on  the  most 

northern  part  of  the  earth ;  to  complete  the  enterprise  upon  which  the 

eyes  of  the  whole  civilized  world  are  raised,  and  to  do  all  in  our  power 

to  reach  our  proposed  goal. 

"s.  o.  budington. 

'  "Emil  Bessels." 


The  severity  of  the  long  Arctic  winter  showed  its  beginnings  before 
the  middle  of  November.  On  the  18th  and  the  two  following  days,  a 
gale  from  the  northeast  blew  with  the  violence  of  nearly  fifty  miles  an 
hour.  Hermann  Siemens,  a  very  strong  man,  while  making  his  usual 
tidal  observations  was  literally  taken  up  by  the  storm  and  thrown  upon 
the  ice,  and  the  ship  itself  was  driven  over  on  one  side,  her  snow  wall 
being  shoved  out  and  broken.  Dr.  Bessels  and  Mr.  Meyer  were  rescued 
by  Hans  and  Joe  from  the  greatest  danger  on  their  return  from  obser- 
vatory duty.  The  Eskimos  knew  better  how  to  battle  with  the  strong 
wind.  At  the  Observatory,  the  Anemometer's  caps  were  whirling 
round  at  amazing  speed,  indicating  while  it  was  possible  to  stand  long 
enough  before  the  wind  to  read,  a  velocity  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  miles. 
The  creaking  of  the  masts  and  the  howling  of  the  wind,  together  with 
the  darkness,  increased  by  a  heavy  drift  of  snow,  made  the  day  one  of 
anxiety  ;  the  cracking  of  the  ice  around  the  vessel  was  felt,  and  it  was 
soon  discovered  that  she  was  afloat  with  eight  fathoms  of  water  forward 
and  six  aft,  increasing  to  twelve  and  a  half.  She  was  brought  up  by 
the  best  bower,  the  starboard  anchor;  and,  by  Niederman  and  the 
Eskimos  performing  the  dangerous  duty  of  replanting  ice-anchors,  was 
again  secured  to  Providence  Berg.  She  drifted  against  the  north- 
eastern side,  and  her  stern  was  exposed  to  the  attack  of  the  floes,  but 
by  a  narrow  chance  she  had  been  saved  from  being  carried  out  into 
the  channel  to  drift  south. 

Five  days  afterward,  a  gale  from  the  southwest  broke  the  berg 
itself  into  two  parts,  and  the  ice  forced  in  between  them,  separating 
them  by  a  distance  of  eight  feet ;  at  midnight  the  two  parts  were  found 
to  be  in  motion,  the  smaller  one  moving  more  rapidly.  The  strongest 
man  now  held  his  breath,  for  it  really- seemed  that  the  ship  must  be 


THE   "POLARIS"   AGAIN   IN   DANGER. 


301 


cruslied,  and  it  was  thought  several  times  that  the  ice  had  been  forced 
through  her  side ;  but  when  she  came  in  contact  with  the  berg  a  large 


tongue  of  ice  below  with  the  help  of  the  wind  raised  her  bow  with  a 
cant.     "  This  probably  saved  her."     Siemens  says :   "  Had  tlie  ice  on 


302  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

the  lee  side  of  the  berg  been  as  strong  as  that  on  the  weather  side,  the 
ship  would  surely  have  been  cut  through  or  tlirown  on  her  beam-ends." 

On  the  29th  the  berg  moved  in  towards  shore,  shoving  the  "Polaris" 
before  it,  and  at  three  in  the  morning,  tirmly  grounded ;  and  new  dan- 
gers appeared  when  the  tide  fell,  for  the  stern  of  the  vessel  sank,  leaving 
the  bow  four  feet  higher ;  she  also  heeled  over  to  port  so  much  that  it 
was  impossible  to  walk  the  deck;  but  when  the  tide  rose,  the  ship  came 
to  an  even  keel.  The  frightened  Eskimos  built  two  snow-houses  on 
shore  to  live  in.  But  the  "  Polaris,"  although  much  strained,  was  again 
saved,  and  the  ship's  company  celebrated  the  30th  as  Thanksgiving 
Day;  the  snow-houses   built  on  shore  were  never  occupied. 

Life  on  board  the  "  Polaris  "  during  the  month  of  December,  1871, 
was  comparatively  monotonous.  It  was  found  impossible  to  change 
the  position  of  the  ship  which  had  been  made  so  uncomfortable  by  the 
piling  up  of  the  ice  about  the  stern ;  at  low  tide  the  list,  especially  on 
the  starboard  side,  was  exceedingly  disagreeable. 

The  ice  in  the  straits  was  so  loose  that  the  least  atmospheric  disturb- 
ance set  large  masses  of  it  in  motion.  On  the  10th,  open  water  was 
observed  two  or  three  miles  distant;  this  was  the  period  of  "springs." 

In  the  middle  of  the  month,  the  "Polaris"  labored  greatly,  the 
creaking  of  her  timbers  as  she  moved  up  and  down  against  the  berg 
sounded  like  volleys  of  musketry,  and  the  berg  itself  which  was  con- 
tinually breaking  in  pieces,  pressed  more  toward  the  ship.  Hummocks 
were  piled  up  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  the 
effect  of  the  constant  pressure  was  to  raise  the  vessel  still  higher,  mak- 
ing her  condition  more  unsafe  and  uncomfortable.  The  snow  wall  by 
which  she  had  been  surrounded  having  been  carried  away  when  she 
broke  adrift,  the  berths  were  now  much  colder.  The  thermometers  on 
board  no  longer  agreed  with  those  of  the  observatory. 

On  the  25th,  among  the  notes  of  his  journal,  Captain  Budington 
says:  "  We  are  in  by  no  means  a  safe  position.  The  danger  that 
threatens  us  is  from  the  seaside,  and  this  in  the  form  of  southwest  gale, 
in  connection  with  spring  tides  which  may  push  the  vessel  further  in 
shore.  She  will  then  have  only  two  chances,  either  to  resist  the  press- 
ure of  the  berg  and  break  the  land  ice,  already  three  feet  thick,  or  be 


THE    "POLARIS"    IN    DANGER. 


303 


entirely  lifted  up  out  of  the  water."     Two  days  afterward  an  attempt 
was  made  to  free  the  vessel  by  exploding  four  large  charges  of  gun 


powder  in  different  places  not  far  from  the  ship's  side.     But  tliis  did 
Hot  even  crack  the  ice.    The  Captain  expresses  his  regret  that  the  ship 


304  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES.        , 

had  not  been  anchored  in  Newman's  Bay,  where,  he  believed,  her  posi- 
tion would  have  been  undisturbed  in  winter  quarters,  twenty  miles 
further  north. 

The  amount  of  coal  consumed  during  the  month  was  8,060  lbs.,  an 
increase  on  the  consumption  of  November,  and  this,  notwithstanding 
•the  utmost  economy  exercised.     Budington  said  : —  I 

"  If  the  consumption  of  this  fuel  is  continued  at  the  same  rate,  a 
stoppage  of  which,  without  endangering  our  health,  is  not  possible,  we 
will  hardly  have  enough  for  two  winters,  to  say  nothing  of  using  steam 
on  our  return.  The  idea  of  piloting  the  vessel  through  Smith  Sound 
with  the  aid  of  sails  is  an  absurdity.  Without  considering  the  safety 
of  the  vessel,  the  experiences  of  both  Kane  and  Hayes  are  sufficient  to 
show  that  a  sailing  vessel,  and  especially  one  like  ours,  can  do  abso- 
lutely nothing.  The  first  opportunity,  however,  we  get  to  leave  this 
winter  harbor  will  be  taken,  and  with  the  aid  of  steam  or  sails,  as  con- 
ditions permit  us,  we  will  attempt  to  reach  a  higher  latitude,  so  as  to 
enable  us  to  carry  out  the  objects  we  are  sent  for."  The  further  pro- 
vision then  made  for  reducing  the  consumption  of  coal  saved  a  thou- 
sand pounds  during  each  of  the  months  following. 

January  16,  1872,  twilight  was  visible  at  8  a.m.,  and  the  ship's  com- 
pany began  to  look  forward  to  the  time  when  active  spring  work  might 
begin.  As  the  sunlight  increased,  it  was  seen  that  long  confinement 
had  brought  a  peculiar  pallor  to  the  face,  but  this  a  few  days  of  con- 
tinuous light  might  restore.  No  case  of  sickness  had  occurred ;  not  the 
slightest  form  of  scurvy.  Judicious  discipline  had  saved  the  strength 
and  health  of  the  company,  who  had  been  kept  warm  and  comfortable, 
fed  upon  carefully  prepared  stores,  supplied  daily  with  lime-juice,  and 
preserved  from  despondency  by  full  recreation  and  voluntary  exercise. 
The  carpenter  was  occupied  in  building  sledges  for  transporting  the 
boats  on  a  northern  journey  as  soon  as  the  season  opened.  One  of 
these  was  fourteen  feet  long  and  two  and  a  half  feet  between  the  cen- 
tres of  the  runners,  which  were  ten  and  a  half  inches  high  and  had 
fourteen  cross-bars  fastened  to  them  by  lashes  of  raw-hide,  which  thus 
gave  them  a  play  of  about  six  degrees  —  a  great  advantage  in  carrying 
a  heavy  load  over  rough  ice. 


VISITS   TO   CAPE  LUPTON.  —  OPEN  WATER.  305 

Several  visits  were  made  to  Cape  Lupton  and  the  points  in  its 
vicinity,  to  learn  the  state  of  the  ice.  On  the  17th,  Tyson  and  Joe 
were  at  the  cape  at  meridian,  when  the  twilight  was  brightest.  No 
water  was  to  be  seen,  the  straits  being  covered  with  young  ice,  not 
strong  enough  to  bear  their  weight,  mixed  with  large  floes  of  a  recent 
drift ;  toward  the  western  coast  of  the  channel  was  a  low  cloud  of  fresh 
smoke.  On  the  19th,  Kruger  and  Jamka,  two  of  the  crew,  reached  a 
second  cape  with  a  team  of  eight  dogs.  From  a  height  here  of  about  one 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea-level  a  large  amount  of  open  water  appeared 
extending  northward  as  far  as  could  be  seen,  to  a  distance  estimated 
under  the  bright  moon  to  be  twenty  miles.  The  hummocks  and  bergs 
had  disappeared  and  a  new  field  of  ice  covered  the  waters.  On  the 
24th  Dr.  Bessels,  with  two  of  the  seamen,  went  to  a  third  cape  to 
examine  this  reported  open  water,  and  on  the  28th  Mate  Chester  again 
inspected  it,  finding  a  current  of  a  mile  an  hour  toward  the  north.  The 
existence  .of  this  open  water  was  regarded  as  favorable  to  boat  journeys 
in  the  spring.  These  were  the  subject  of  frequent  discussions  during 
the  remainder  of  this  month  and  of  February. 

Dr.  Bessels  submitted  to  Captain  Budington  a  plan  of  operations 
for  the  spring  journey,  in  which  he  discussed  the  two  ways  of  accom-. 
plishing  the  object  of  the  Expedition ;  either  by  boats  and  the  vessel 
herself  or  by  sledges  as  at  first  proposed.  The  setting  out  of  a  boat 
party,  he  said,  which  might  start  the  last  of  March  or  the  beginning 
of  April,  would  depend  entirely  upon  the  area  of  open  water  and  its 
probable  continuance.  One  of  the  smaller  boats  should  be  taken 
with  as  many  provisions,  instruments,  and  small  stores  as  would  be 
necessary,  and  the  boat  party  should  follow  up  the  eastern  side  of  the 
strait,  surveying  the  land  and  making  investigations  in  regard  to  the 
currents  and  deep-sea  soundings,  the  last  of  these  being  of  the  highest 
importance ;  for,  except  those  made  by  Ross  in  1818,  there  were  but  a 
few  others,  —  some  taken  by  Inglefield  and  two  by  Kane. 

For  the  best  additional  results  to  be  secured  he  recommended  that, 
during  the  time  which  must  elapse  before  a  northern  journey  could  be 
begun,  sledge  parties  should  be  formed  to  penetrate  into  the  interior  of 
the  country,  learn  its  configuration,  determine  astronomically  the  longi- 


306  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

tude  of  jSIorton's  furthest  point,  and  re-survey  the  coast-line  of  Grinnell 
land,  determining,  if  possible,  how  far  it  extends  from  east  to  west. 

As  the  sledge  parties  would  be  compelled  to  travel  over  a  poor 
country  and  make  large  distances,  the  difficult}-  of  providing  dog  teams 
suggested  the  probable  necessity  of  depending  almost  exclusively  upon 
men  for  dragging  them.  All  the  parties  would  build  cairns,  deposit 
records;  and  whenever  practicable  signalize  by  flags  and  smoke,  the 
"  Polaris  "  firing  a  gun  several  times  a  day. 

February  4,  the  twilight  was  now  so  bright  that  any  kind  of  print, 
from  fine  diamond  up,  could  be  easil}^  read.  A  spectrum  was  for  the 
first  time  observed.     Stars  of  the  first  magnitude  could  be  clearly  seen. 

Mauch  thus  records  an  observation  of  a  meteor:  "At  4.30  p.m. 
when  making  my  observation,  and  just  attempting  to  read  the  ane- 
mometer, I  observed  in  the  east,  above  the  range  of  hills,  a  bright 
meteor,  slowly  moving  in  a  southerly  direction  toward  the  ground,  at 
an  angle  of  45°.  Its  height  when  I  first  saw  it  was  the  same  as  that 
of  Procyon,  It  was  of  a  light-bluish  color,  resembling  closely  in  its 
whole  appearance,  the  blue  light  that  falls  from  some  kinds  of  rocket, 
when  they  burst  in  the  air.  Before  it  disappeared  behind  the  hills,  it 
left  a  few  sparks  behind,  which,  however,  were  soon  extinguished.  Its 
size  was  that  of  one  of  the  stars  of  the  first  magnitude." 

A  very  fine  auroral  display  was  witnessed  in  the  evening,  the  move- 
ments of  which  were  complicated  and  the  spectacle  very  impressive. 
The  sky  showed  at  first  a  slaty  appearance  to  the  northwest,  with 
occasional  luminous  streamers.  At  7.15  that  quarter  of  the  heavens 
was  of  a  blood-red  color,  while  faint  white  streamers  sprang  up  in  rapid 
succession,  increasing  in  numbers  from  the  west,  north,  and  northeast ; 
all  of  them  directed  to  the  zenith,  and  the  outward  ones  bending  in- 
ward. The  structure  was  that  of  a  dome.  Then  they  all  vanished, 
giving  place  to  others  which  rose  from  a  wider  extent  of  the  horizon. 
At  8.30  new  and  very  bright  streamers  toward  the  zenith  gathered 
about  it  till  they  formed  a  corona.  Next,  all  moved  northward  with  a 
motion  of  between  six  and  seven  seconds  to  a  degree.  The  corona 
opened,  forming  a  beautiful  curtain  of  an  intense  color  between  yellow 
and  white ;  and  at  9.30  another  corona  formed  itself  of  new  streamers 


AURORAS. — ^^  PENDULUM   EXPERIMENT.  307 

coming  up  in  every  direction.  The  display  lasted  all  the  night  of  the 
4th,  and  continued  with  slight  interruption  through  the  5th.  The  red 
color  of  the  sky  moved  around  and  was  last  seen  in  the  east,  disappear- 
ing in  the  southeast. 

The  temperature  during  the  first  half  of  December  had  ranged  high, 
the  lowest  being  24°;  during  the  last  half  the  mercury  was  at  33°; 
January  9,  the  thermometer  read  — i8°.  During  February,  the  highest 
recorded  was  — 07,  the  lowest  — 43°  5". 

On  the  29th,  Captain  Budington  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  Dr. 
Bessels'  plan  of  work,  and  advised  him  that  the  expedition  to  the  north 
would  probably  proceed  by  the  aid  of  boats,  in  which  case  it  was  his 
intention  to  take  the  command;  but  that  it  appeared  to  be  useless  to 
come,  as  yet,  to  any  conclusion  as  to  this  journey  or  the  proceedings 
of  the  ship. 

During  the  winter  months  scientific  observations  were  diligently 
kept  up ;  tidal  observations,  as  well  as  the  meteorological,  were  re- 
commenced soon  after  the  storm  of  November  21.  Moon  culminations 
were  made  by  Mr.  Bryan  with  the  transit  instrument,  and  experiments 
with  the  pendulum  were  begun  January  2.  Dr.  Bessels  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  his 

"PENDULUIM  EXPERIIVrENT." 

"  The  pendulum  is  an  invariable,  reversible  brass  pendulum,  of  five 
feet  7.75  inches  in  length,  and  very  near  synchronous,  but  not  convert- 
ible. It  is  swung  on  steel  knife-edges,  and  suspended  in  a  box  of  strong 
board  with  a  glass  door.  In  order  to  disconnect  the  instrument  as  far 
as  possible  from  the  small  building  in  which  it  was  swung,  a  square 
hole  was  cut  through  the  floor  in  the  middle  of  the  western  wall  of  the 
observatory.  Underneath  this  opening  a  heavy  piece  of  timber  was 
frozen  solid  to  the  ground.  As  the  floor  of  the  hut  did  not  rest  directly 
on  the  soil,  but  was  placed  on  beams  of  oak,  the  plank  mentioned  be- 
fore was  entirely  isolated  from  the  observatory  and  became  as  firm, 
under  the  influence  of  the  low  temperature,  after  the  course  of  a  few 
days  as  the  frozen  soil  itself  upon  which  it  rested.  On  this  piece  of 
timber  the  pendulum-box  was  screwed  in  such  a  manner  that  the  plane 


308  ASIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

in  which  the  pendulum  was  swung  was  that  of  the  meridian,  and  in 
order  to  secure  the  utmost  steadiness  a  barrel  was  placed  outside  the 
observatory  on  the  same  plank  on  which  the  pendulum-box  rested. 
The  barrel  was  surrounded  by  a  heap  of  gravel,  which  was  moistened 
with  water  in  order  to  cement  it  in  a  solid  manner  to  the  plank.  After 
this  was  done  a  hole  was  cut  through  the  wall  of  the  observatory  be- 
hind the  place  where  the  pendulum-box  was  fastened.  A  half-inch 
iron  bar,  bent  at  right  angles,  was  passed  through  this  hole,  and  one 
end  of  it  was  fastened  to  the  back  wall  of  the  box  by  means  of  five 
screws.  The  other  end,  which  was  about  three  feet  over  the  centre  of 
the  barrel  outsjde  of  the  observatory,  was  screwed  to  a  three-inch  iron 
bar  set  up  nearly  perpendicular  in  the  keg. 

"  After  having  accomplished  the  work  so  far,  the  barrel  was  filled 
with  gravel  and  sand,  over  which  was  poured  some  water.  Before  the 
mass  was  frozen  hard  we  levelled  the  pendulum-box  as  nearly  as  could 
be  done,  and  when  it  was  found  to  be  tolerably  level,  the  bar  outside 
was  fastened  by  means  of  ropes  to  the  wall  of  the  observatory,  in 
order  to  prevent  it  from  giving  way  and  disturbing  the  position  of  the 
box.  After  two  days  had  elapsed,  the  gravel  was  frozen  solid  and  the 
ropes  were  removed.  It  was  found  that  the  box  had  not  changed  its 
level ;  but  at  the  same  time,  it  was  not  so  steady  as  might  have  been 
expected.  To  secure  it  better,  a  hole  of  three  inches'  diameter  was 
drilled  through  the  floor  of  the  observatory  about  one  foot  north  of  the 
box,  and  another  one  of  the  same  diameter  and  at  the  same  distance 
south  of  it.  Through  each  of  these  holes  an  iron  bar,  one  inch  thick 
and  three  feet  long,  was  driven  into  the  frozen  soil  and  connected  with 
the  box  by  means  of  two  other  iron  bars  bent  at  right  angles,  similar 
to  the  one  mentioned  above,  and  screwed  together  in  a  similar  manner. 

"  The  vibrations  (performed  in  the  plane  of  the  meridian)  were 
observed  with  a  small  direct-vision  telescope  placed  about  eight  feet 
east  of  the  arc  of  the  pendulum.  The  point  of  the  swinging  knife-edge 
served  as  a  mark,  and  observations  were  made  with  vibrations  from 
right  to  left  (north  to  soutli)  and  from  left  to  right  to  correct  for 
eccentricity  of  mark.  Each  set  was  begun  with  the  right.  An  arc  of 
a  circle  of  39.25  inches'  radius,  divided  from  the  middle  each  way  to  five 


AURORAS.  —  PENDULUM   EXPERIMENT. 


309 


s« 


degrees,  with  subdivisions  of  tenths  degrees,  was  placed  over  the  swing- 
ing knife-edge,  and  the  extreme  excursions  to  the  right  and  left  noted. 
The  times  were  recorded  by  a  sidereal  chronometer,  which  was  compared 
with  five  other  box  chronometers  by  means  of  a  pocket  chronometer 
before  and  after  each  set  of  observations  was  taken.  The  pendu- 
lum was  swung  in  four  different  positions  designated  by  the  number 
stamped  on  the  rod  near  the  knife-edge ;  the  numbers  one  and  two 
being  on  one  side,  and  three  and  four  on  the  reverse.     The  steel  plates 

upon  which  the  knife- 
edge  rested  were  lev- 
elled by  a  small  spirit 
level  every  time  be- 
fore the  set  was  be- 
gun, when  the  door 
of  the  box  was  closed 
and  kept  shut  till  the 
set  was  finished." 

Auroral  displays 
had  been  of  frequent 
occurrence  through 
the  season.  Decem- 
ber 29,  luminous 
streamers  were  seen 
extending  in  an  arch 
through  the  zenith 
from  northeast  to 
southwest.  January  6,  beautiful  displays  were  seen  nearly  all  day. 
When  the  sky  was  clear  and  the  breeze  light  from  the  south,  lumi- 
nous clouds  extended  themselves  from  the  southwest  in  the  form 
of  an  arch.  Fantastic  forms  of  light  came,  and  went  rapidly,  and 
there  were  bands  of  yellow  and  white.  Again  on  the  10th,  narrow 
bright  strips  ran  up  into  an  arc  which  passed  from  the  western  hori- 
zon through  the  zenith  to  the  east,  parallel  with  the  milky  way,  and 
distant  from  it  about  twelve  degrees;  at  the  same  time  luminous 
streamers  of  a  greenish  hue  shot  up  from  the  east.     Like  appearances 


fi. 


Cloudy. 


310  AJVEERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

presented  themselves  on  the  12th,  14th,  and  16th.  At  these  displays 
the  magnetometer  was  not  observed  by  Mr.  Bryan  to  show  any  marked 
deflection. 

On  the  morning  of  February  21,  some  very  beautiful  paraselense 
were  observed ;  the  thermometer  was  30°  below  zero.  Mauch  made  the 
sketch  shown  on  the  preceding  page. 

I 

KETUKN   OF   THE   SUN.  " 

On  the  28th  of  February  one  of  the  happiest  days  was  experienced. 
The  sun  would  be  seen  after  an  absence  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
days,  and  at  an  early  hour  all  hands  were  on  the  lookout,  some 
perched  on  the  foretop  of  the  "Polaris,"  others  on  the  top  of  Provi- 
dence Berg.  At  11.55  a  small  portion  of  the  upper  limb  was  seen  for  a 
few  moments  through  a  gorge  in  the  mountain,  and  at  12.15  the  whole 
orb  suddenly  appeared  from  behind  Cape  Tj^son  and  rolled  in  full  glory 
over  the  southern  fiord.  Cheer  after  cheer  went  up  from  the  company, 
the  men  leaping  and  jumping  about  with  cries  of  "  Oh !  how  warm  it  is, 
he  has  not  forgotten  us."  He  continued  above  the  horizon  till  2  p.m. 
A  bottle  of  wine  was  given  to  each  of  the  crew,  and  cigarettes  distri- 
buted among  the  men  forward. 

April  1,  the  captain  of  the  "  Polaris  "  organized  two  boats'  crews  to 
begin  the  exploration  as  soon  as  the  state  of  the  ice  would  permit  : 
Mate  Chester  and  Assistant  Navigator  Tyson  were  placed  respectively 
in  command,  Dr.  Bessels  and  Mr.  Meyer  being  each  second  with  four 
seamen.  Orders  were  given  that  the  boats  and  crews  be  ready  to  start 
the  following  month,  and  in  accordance  with  the  suggestions  which 
have  been  named.  Sledge  journeys  were  in  the  mean  time  made  to 
different  points.  Of  one  of  these  Mauch  remarks :  "  I  have  been  up  to 
Cape  Lupton,  comparing  Hayes'  '  Open  Polar  Sea '  of  the  19th  of  May, 
1861,  with  the  present  one.  The  straits  present  a  vast  volume  of 
impenetrable  pack  with  not  a  speck  of  open  water."  The  temperature 
was  still  too  low  for  the  boat  journeys.  This  state  of  the  ice  continued 
with  little  intermission  until  the  7th  of  June,  when  on  a  favorable 
report  from  Cape  Lupton  Chester's  crew  was  sent  thither,  Tyson's  also 
going  forward  on  the  next  day.     But,  on  the  11th,  Mate  Chester  was 


ICE   IN   "THE   OPEN   POLAR   SEA. 


311 


compelled  to  report  at  the  ship,  that,  after  passing  a  strip  of  open 
water  leading  around  the  Cape,  his  boat  was  crushed  by  the  moving 


pack,  and  with  it  the  box  chronometer,  and  the  much  valued  Casella 
theodolite  and  other  instruments.     A  renewed  attempt  met  with  not 


312  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

much  greater  success, — both  this  crew  and  Tyson's  succeeding  only  in 
reaching  the  mouth  of  Newman's  Bay  and  there  encamping. 

The  condition  of  the  "  Polaris  "  had  become  more  unsafe  and  uncom- 
fortable. A  serious  leak  had  been  discovered  as  far  back  as  May  24, 
and  before  the  close  of  June  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  pump  going 
twelve  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four.  By  this  date,  however,  there 
seemed  a  fair  expectation  that  ere  long  she  could  be  partially  sawed 
out  and  clear  herself  by  the  opening  of  the  ice.  The  northeast  gale 
'completely  cleared  the  straits  to  the  west  and  southwest,  but  died  away 
without  displacing  the  berg.  After  two  days'  laborious  use  of  the  ice- 
saws  the  stern  of  the  vessel  was  freed ;  she  slid  from  the  tongue  of  the 
berg  into  an  open  cut  and  was  once  more  afloat.  There  was  much 
open  water  in  sight.  It  was  possible  that  Robeson's  Strait  was  free  and 
it  was  expedient  to  join  the  boat  parties  supposed  to  be  as  far  north  as 
Cape  Joseph  Henry.  The  "  Polaris  "  rounded  Cape  Lupton  and  seemed 
to  have  a  clear  sea  before  her,  but  found  an  impenetrable  pack  near 
both  Cape  Sumner  and  Cape  Lieber ;  she  returned  to  Thank  God  Har- 
bor, and  again  tied  up  to  the  berg.  On  receiving  a  message  from  Mate 
Chester  that  both  boats  were  encamped  at  Newman's  Bay,  the  Captain 
again  started  north  to  pick  the  boats  up,  the  crews  of  which  were 
needed  to  take  care  of  the  ship  and  make  her  ready  to  move  north  if 
the  opportunity  should  offer.  But  this  effort,  as  well  as  a  third  made 
during  the  first  week  of  July,  was  again  totally  unsuccessful.  Each 
crew  was  compelled  to  abandon  its  boat,  and  walk  back  from  camp 
to  the  ship. 

August  1,  it  had  now  become  a,  matter  of  serious  moment  to  attain 
any  well-grounded  expectation  of  accomplishing  at  this  late  date  any- 
thing more  towards  the  object  of  the  expedition;  or  indeed,  to  pro- 
vide for  the  safety  of  the  vessel.  The  first  of  these  objects,  as  vrill  be 
readily  seen  from  the  preceding  statements,  seemed  hopeless ;  the 
second  was  fast  becoming  the  central  object  of  all  thought.  The 
engineers  reported  that  there  remained  coal  enough  for  only  six  days' 
steaming,  —  a  supply  sufficient  to  carry  the  vessel  under  favorable 
circumstances  to  Disco.  The  Captain's  journal  says :  "  I  have  been 
living  in  hopes  that  we  should  get  further  north,  but  the  season  is  so 


LEAVING  THE   HARBOR. 


313 


unfavorable,  the  ice  so  compact  and  close,  that  if  we  had  an  opportunity 
to  start  north  it  would  not  be  at  all  advisable,  without  a  supply  of  coal, 


to  risk  it  with  a  vessel  like  ours  at  this  advanced  state  of  the  season. 
We  must  leave  the  harbor,  for  delay  now  will  most  probably  prove 


314 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


fatal ;  we  could  not  keep  the  vessel  afloat  in  her  present  condition 
during  another  winter,  and  will  be  compelled  to  run  her  on  the  beach." 
On  the  11th  the  ice  in  the  straits  was  observed  to  be  drifting  south; 
at  4.30  on  the  day  following  the  engines  were  started  and  the  ship  left 
Thank  God  Harbor. 

With  great  care  she  was  piloted  between  heavy  floes,  laboring 
heavily  all  night  and  at  5  A.M.  of  the  13th,  was  passing  so  swiftly 
through  the  open  water  which  had  been  seen  from  Observatory  Bluff, 
that  it  was  necessary  to  shorten  sail  on  account  of  the  thick  fog. 
Entering  an  impenetrable  pack,  she  was  tied  to  a  floe,  and  drifted  some 


HOUSE  ON   THE  FLOE. 


hours  slowly  down  the  channel,  making,  as  the  ice  here  and  there 
opened,  very  short  advances  as  far  south  as  80°  01 ,  and  having  coal 
enough  for  four  days'  steaming  only.  Leaking  yet  more  badly,  she 
suffered  several  very  severe  nips.  By  the  27th  every  preparation  had 
been  made  to  abandon  her. 

The  drift  during  the  month  of  September  continued  chiefly  toward 
the  south  and  west,  averaging  not  much  more  than  a  mile  a  day, 
checked  at  times  by  the  soutlierly  winds ;  on  the  third  of  the  month 
she  was  in  lat.  79°  34'  N.,  on  the  30th  only  in  79°  02'.  Nine  hundred 
pounds  of  coal  were  used  daily  in  working  the  pumps,  and  many  plans 
tried  for  stopping  the  leak;  all  without  success.     As  it  was  evident 


THE   "POLARIS       TO   BE  ABANDONED. 


315 


that  the  party,  if  saved,  must  escape  to  the  shore,  a  house  for  the  floe 
was  built,  of  the  dimensions  twenty-seven  feet  by  twenty-four ;   the 


severe  experiences  of  the  month  following  making,  however,  new  plans 
necessary.     October  12,  Cairn  Point  was  only  two  miles  to  the  south- 


816  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

east ;  on  the  13th  Gale  Point  was  due  west  at  noon,  and  on  the  14th 
Northumberland  Island  was  in  sight,  the  ship  drifting  still  more  rapidiy 
under  a  northeast  gale. 

'  THE  SEPARATION. 

October  16  at  7.30  p.  m.,  the  "  Polaris "  ran  among  icebergs  which 
broke  up  the  floe  to  which  she  was  attached,  and  the  pack  closing  up, 
jammed  her  heavily.  She  was  raised  up  bodily  and  thrown  over  on  her 
port  side,  her  timbers  cracked  with  a  loud  report,  and  her  sides  seemed 
to  be  breaking  in;  a  piece  of  ice  being  reported  as  actually  driven 
through.  Amid  the  violence  of  the  storm,  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
and  the  grinding  of  the  ice,  provisions  and  stores  were  ordered  to  be 
thrown  out  on  the  floe.  This  work  was  done  with  extraordinary  rapidity 
and  development  of  strength,  under  the  intense  excitement  of  the  hour. 
The  records  of  the  Expedition  work  were  placed  far  back  upon  the  floe, 
with  a  large  amount  of  provisions  and  clothing,  and  the  two  boats  which 
remained  were  also  lowered,  and  with  the  scow  placed  upon  it. 

At  9.30  by  some  change  in  the  ice  the  starboard  side  of  the  ship  was 
again  clear,  the  vessel  was  free  from  pressure,  and  the  cracks  iii  the 
floe  began  to  open,  but  unfortunately  two  of  these  cracks  ran  through 
the  places  where  the  stern  anchors  had  been  planted,  breaking  their 
hold,  and  the  anchors  dragging  under  the  strain,  she  swung  round  to 
the  forward  hawser.  It  slipped.  The  "  Polaris  "  was  rapidly  carried 
away  from  the  floe  and  those  upon  it.  The  night  was  black  and 
stormy,  and  in  a  few  moments  nothing  of  the  floe  or  of  the  men  on  it 
could  be  seen  through  the  drifting  snow.  Some  dark  forms  were  seen 
apparently  rushing  hopelessly  toward  the  ship ;  the  voice  of  the  steward 
was  heard  calling  out,  "  Good-bye,  'Polaris ' !  " 


THE  TWO   PARTIES. 

As  soon  as  the  floe  disappeared,  a  muster  on  board  the  "  Polaris " 
was  answered  by  fourteen  of  the  company,  viz. :  the  captain,  the  two 
mates,  the  chief  of  tlie  scientific  corps,  and  the  astronomer,  the  two 
engineers,  carpenter,  two  firemen,  and  four  seamen.     On  the  floe  had 


NEAR   DESTRUCTION. 


317 


been  left  nineteen,  viz. :  Captain  Tyson,  Mr.  Meyer  the  meteorologist, 
the  steward,  the  cook,  six  seamen,  and  the  Eskimos,  Joe  and  Hans,  with 


their  wives  and  children,  including  a  baby  born  to  Hans  August  12, 
and  then  christened  Charles  Polaris. 


318  AMERICAJSr   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

The  first  call  upon  the  ship's  company  at  this  time  of  deep  gloom 
and  helplessness,  was  to  be  on  the  most  careful  lookout  for  the  course 
of  the  ship,  driven  as  she  was  rapidly  through  the  rough  sea,  past  the 
lines  of  bergs;  and  to  keep  if  possible  afloat.  The  remembrance  that 
the  boats  had  been  left  on  the  floe  could  not  lessen  the  anxiety,  and 
the  engineers'  report  of  the  increasing  leakage  was  alarming  in  the  ex- 
treme. The  water  was  pouring  in  so  rapidly  that  they  feared  the  fires 
would  be  put  out  before  steam  could  be  raised  to  work  the  pump.  If 
the  water  rose  to  the  fire-plates  all  must  be  lost,  and  at  this  moment  it 
was  lapping  over  the  floor  of  the  fire-room.  Happily  a  few  pails  of  hot 
water  from  the  boiler  started  the  four  large  main-deck  pumps,  to  which 
all  hands  were  instantly  called,  and  by  throwing  into  the  fire  every 
combustible  material,  including  seal-blubber,  the  engineers,  after  more 
than  an  hour  of  the  severest  labor,  got  the  steam  pump  at  work.  It  rap- 
idly gained  on  the  leak,  the  wind  died  away,  the  moon  showed  herself 
more  frequently,  a  few  stars  were  seen,  and  worn-out  men  gave  themselves 
up  to  broken  slumbers.     But  where  were  the  men  on  the  floe  ? 

Those  on  board  waked  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  to  a  calm  and 
clear  day.  Mr.  Chester,  from  the  Crow's  Nest,  and  Henry  Hobby,  one 
of  the  seamen,  with  a  good  glass  examined  everything,  but  could  see 
no  living  creature.  They  thought  they  saw  some  of  the  provisions  and 
stores  on  the  floe  four  miles  distant ;  but  others  felt  sure  that  this  was 
black  ice  or  stone  or  dShris.    Not  one  of  their  comrades  could  be  seen. 

The  "  Polaris,"  herself  it  was  thought,  must  be  abandoned ;  she  had 
coal  enough  for  a  few  days  only,  when  a  breeze  from  the  northeast, 
breaking  up  the  ice,  and  making  lanes  of  water  toward  the  shore, 
brought  the  ship  to  land.  Her  stern-post  took  the  ground,  and  she  was 
secured  by  heavy  hawsers  to  large  grounded  hummocks,  her  starboard 
side  toward  the  beach.  Every  preparation  was  now  to  be  made  for  the 
saving  of  life  on  shore  until  either  some  providential  rescue  should 
appear,  or  the  ship's  company  could  build  new  boats  and  escape  to  the 
south  j  the  latter  of  these  two  chances  it  will  be  found  became  the 
necessity.    The  position  of  the  ship  was  not  far  from  Littleton  Island. 

The  ship's  company  were  not  under  anxiety  for  the  means  of  sus- 
taining life,  although  their  stores  of  clothing  were  very  scanty,  and  they 


320  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

could  hope  to  be  without  severe  discomfort  in  the  house  which  had 
been  promptly  built  on  shore  from  the  material  of  the  ship.  During  the 
remainder  of  the  month,  and  through  the  winter,  and  the  first  months 
of  spring,  they  were  assisted  by  parties  of  the  Eskimos  from  Etah  and 
other  points,  but,  at  times,  had  the  usual  experience  of  finding  the 
natives  a  great  discomfort,  by  their  frequent  visitations  and  dependence 
upon  the  ship  for  supplies.  Their  first  visit,  made  at  the  time  of  the 
"  Polaris  "  taking  the  shore,  was  a  valued  help,  and  their  skill  in  the 
hunts  was  the  reliance  of  the  ship's  company ;  on  the  other  hand  the 
number  of  visitors  —  at  one  time  seventy-seven  —  was  a  trying  inflic- 
tion by  their  want  of  cleanliness.  When  as  many  as  twenty-three 
began  to  sleep  on  the  floor  of  Polaris  House,  snow-houses  were  built 
on  shore  for  such  as  wished  to  remain  near  their  white  friends.  By 
May  1,  there  had  been  one  hundred  men,  women,  and  children  at 
Polaris  House,  with  as  many  as  one  hundred  and  fifty  dogs. 

On  the  27th  of  the  month  two  boats  for  the  journey  south  had 
been  built  by  the  dexterity  and  care  of  Mate  Chester ;  their  dimen- 
sions were,  length  twenty-five  feet,  breadth  five  feet,  and  depth  two 
feet  five  inches.  On  the  two  days  following,  active  preparations  were 
made  for  departure ;  on  the  second  of  these  days  almost  all  the  land-ice 
broke  away,  and  with  it  the  "  Polaris  "  went  adrift,  and  was  carried 
about  two  hundred  yards  towards  the  south,  where  she  again  grounded. 
At  high  tide  her  upper  deck  was  about  two  feet  below  the  surface  of 
the  water.  Siemens  and  Hobby  went  out  to  her  in  the  little  scow  and 
fastened  two  large  hawsers  to  her  from  the  rocks  on  shore.  It  was 
thought  she  might  be  driven  high  and  dry  upon  the  beach  in  the 
autumn,  and  furnish  to  the  Eskimos  a  supply  of  wood.  All  of  her 
which  could  be  made  use  of  by  the  ship's  company  had  been  secured, 
and  either  worked  up  or  put  into  a  condition  for  further  use  on  the 
voyage.     The  rest  of  her  history  will  follow  that  of 

THE  DRIFT  OF  THE  FLOE  PARTY. 

Of  the  nineteen  persons  left  upon  the  floe  at  the  time  of  separation, 
some  were  carried  off  in  that  dread  hour  of  the  dark  night,  on  broken 
pieces  separated  from  the  main  floe,  which  was  a  large  one  ;  they  were 


SCANTY   PROVISIONS.  321 

brought  again  upon  it  by  the  boats,  the  articles  which  had  been  placed 
on  these  smaller  pieces  being  of  necessity  abandoned.  At  midnight  in 
a  blinding  snow-drift,  the  whole  party  huddled  together  under  some 
musk-ox  skins.  Their  provisions  were  not  insufficient  for  their  present 
necessities,  and  they  had  besides  the  two  boats,  two  kayaks,  a  canvas 
tent,  and  some  instruments  of  navigation.  They  were  not  far  from  the 
land,  and  in  Tyson  had  a  brave  and  able  captain. 

.  On  their  part  and  on  the  part  of  their  fellow-sufferers  on  the 
*'  Polaris,"  the  first  natural  object  was  to  learn  each  other's  position  and 
re-unite.  Quite  remarkably,  the  floe  party  twice  saw  the  ship  on  the 
day  following  the  catastrophe,  and  made  signals  for  recognition,  but 
without  success.  Neither  Chester,  who  "  for  several  days  was  up  and 
down  the  mast-head  all  day  every  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,"  nor  Hobby, 
famed  for  his  sharp  eye-sight,  was  able  to  distinguish  a  living  being  or 
a  signal.  Efforts  to  reach  the  ship  as  well  as  those  made  to  get  to  land 
were  alike  unsuccessful.  The  sole  expectation  before  the  men  on  the 
floe  was  to  drift  with  it ;  possibly  at  some  happy  hour,  to  get  into  open 
water  for  a  safe  boat  journey  south. 

From  this  date  their  story,  during  the  severity  of  a  winter  pro- 
longed through  March,  is  one  of  extreme  suffering  and  extreme  forti- 
tude. As  early  as  November  the  effects  of  exposure  and  want  of  proper 
food  were  plainly  visible.  The  seals  caught  by  the  natives  were  almost 
the  only  available  provisions,  and  these  were  hastily  eaten,  uncooked, 
and  with  the  skin  and  hair  on.  What  little  remained  of  the  ship's 
stores  was  given  out  by  weight  by  an  ingenious  scale  devised  by  Mr. 
Meyer.  On  New  Year's  day.  Captain  Tyson  dined  on  about  two  feet 
of  frozen  entrails  and  blubber,  and  only  wished  he  "had  enough  of 
that " :  the  natives  could  catch  nothing ;  "  the  daily  allowance  was  a 
little  mouldy  bread."  The  rapid  consumption  of  the  stores  was  telling 
still  more  severely  on  the  strength  and  endurance  of  all;  signs  of 
scurvy  appeared.  Before  the  month  closed,  however,  seals  were 
caught. 

The  first  four  days  of  February  were  dismal  ones,  as  the  Eskimos 
could  find  no  water  and  no  seals,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  children 
from  hunger  were  painful  to  witness.     The  wind  blew  violently  from 


322  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

the  north  and  west,  and  the  snow  drifted  heavily;  the  temperature 
ranged  from  — 16°  to  — 22° ;  but  the  weather  moderating,  on  the  day 
following  these,  Hans  shot  a  small  seal,  which  restored  somewhat  the 
spirits  of  the  party.  He  had  struck  it  just  us  it  popped  its  head  up 
through  the  young  ice,  and  brought  it  from  a  distance  of  sixty  yards 
by  working  liis  way  to  the  floe  in  the  kayak. 

Before  the  close  of  the  month,  the  allowance  of  provisions  was  again 
reduced  one  half  —  to  a  few  ounces  a  day  —  the  smallest  quantity  with 
which  life  could  be  sustained.  A  bear  track  was  seen  but  lost;  but 
thirty-seven  dovekies  were  brought  in,  every  part  of  which,  except  the 
feathers,  was  eaten.  These  birds  are  very  small,  twenty  or  thirty  of 
them  making  only  a  moderate,  meal ;  nor  do  they  make  warm  blood 
like  the  seal.     The  thermometer  stood  — 30°. 

After  such  long  fasting,  a  too  free  indulgence  upon  an  ook-gook^ 
caught  shortly  afterward,  brought  new  suifering,  especially  to  those 
who  ate  of  the  liver,  a  number  of  whom  were  ^ick  for  a  week,  losing  the 
skin  of  their  faces,  hands,  and  chests.  So  crazy  had  their  appetites  be- 
come that  their  hands  and  faces,  at  this  feasting  inside  the  igloo,  were 
smeared  with  blood.  On  the  27th  a  fine  large  sea-bear  was  caught,  of 
which  every  part,  except  the  liver,  tasted  good. 

April  1,  it  was  found  necessary  to  abandon  the  now  wasted  and 
unsafe  floe ;  the  party  took  to  their  only  remaining  boat.  It  was  one 
intended  to  carry  six  or  eight  only;  but  at  this  time  she  had  in  her 
twelve  men,  two  women,  and  five  children,  with  the  tent,  some 
skins,  and  provisions.  Finding  her  loaded  too  deep,  one  hundred 
pounds  of  meat,  and  nearly  all  the  clothing  were  thrown  overboard. 
Great  pains  were  taken  to  preserve  Captain  Hall's  writing-desk  and 
papers.  After  making  from  fifteen  to  twenty  miles  south  and  west  in 
the  pack,  a  landing  on  the  floe  was  again  made  at  noon  and  a  tent 
pitched.  Seals  were  now  so  easily  caught  that  no  apprehension  of 
want  was  felt. 

On  the  5th,  under  a  westward  gale  and  a  fearfully  high  sea,  pieces 
again  and  again  broke  from  the  floe,  making  it  necessary  to  haul  every- 
thing back  towards  its  centre,  one  piece  carrying  Joe's  hut,  its  inmates, 
however,  escaping  at  the  sound  of  the  cracking  ice. 


ALMOST  PERISHED.  -323 

The  19th  was,  perhaps,  the  most  dangerous  of  all  the  days  experi- 
enced by  this  party.  At  9  P.  M.  a  sudden  alarm  was  given  by  the  man 
on  watch,  when  instantly  a  sea  washed  over  the  floe,  carrying  away  the 
tent,  the  skins,  and  most  of  the  bed-clothing.  The  one  object  now  was 
to  save  the  boat,  for  on  this  their  lives  depended;  to  do  this  it  was 
necessary  for  the  men  to  stand  on  each  side  and  hold  on  with  all  their 
strength.  The  strong  ook-gook  lines  which  were  fastened  to  projecting 
points  in  the  ice,  frequently  parted,  and  every  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes 
a  sea  came,  carrying  the  men  with  it  to  the  opposite  edge  of  the  ice. 
Yet  they  held  on  from  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  to  seven  the  next 
morning,  when  they  landed  on  a  small  piece  of  ice.  The  fatigue  and 
danger  could  never  have  been  borne  but  for  the  three  meals  made  on 
the  seal  last  shot  by  Joe. 

And  yet  he  was  once  more  to  be  their  preserver  ;  for  on  the  22d, 
when  the  men  were  half  drowned,  cold,  without  shelter,  and  without 
food,  on  his  fourth  venture  out  on  the  ice,  he  saw  a  bear  coming  towards 
him.  Hurrying  back  for  his  gun,  he  returned  with  Hans,  and  the  two 
from  behind  the  hummock,  killed  him  instantly.  But  for  this  success  the 
party  must  have  perished. 

THE  RESCUE. 

Relief,  however,  was  now  at  hand.  When  the  fog  opened  on  the 
morning  of  April  30  a  steamer  was  seen  close  to  the  floe,  and  at  the 
boat's  signals  her  head  was  soon  tui*ned  towards  them,  and  one  hun- 
dred men  on  deck  and  aloft  were  returning  three  cheers  given  by  the 
shipwrecked  people. 

The  ship  proved  to  be  the  sealing  barkentine  "Tigress,"  Captain 
Bartlett,  of  Conception  Bay,  Newfoundland.  The  position  in  which 
she  lay  was  lat.  53°  35'  N.,  off  Grady  Harbor,  Labrador.  The  party 
thus  rescued  came  in  safety  to  the  harbor  of  St.  John's,  May  12,  and 
were  brought  to  the  Washington  Navy  Yard  by  the  U.  S.  Steamer 
"Frolic,"  Commander  C.  M.  Schoonmaker,  June  5-  The  northeastern 
coast  had  been  found  blockaded  by  the  ice  and  the  prevailing  east 
winds,  and  Commander  Schoonmaker  had  passed  more  than  one  hun- 
dred bergs  and  floes  in  a  single  night. 


324  A]MERICA2^   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

It  is  the  judgment  of  competent  officers  that  nothing  in  all  history- 
has  equalled  the  preservation  of  this  ice-floe  party :  even  the  babe  was 
saved.  Too  much  credit  can  scarcely  be  given  to  the  chief  of  the  party, 
to  the  natives  on  whom  all  were  dependent,  or  to  the  individuals  them- 
selves for  their  heroic  fortitude.  Nor  is  it  less  remarkable  as  repre- 
sented in  the  report  made  by  the  Hon.  Secretary  and  his  colleagues, 
June  16,  1873,  that,  "  after  their  rescue,  although  enfeebled  by  scanty 
diet  and  long  exposure,  and  mentally  depressed  by  their  isolated  and 
unhappy  situation,  so  fearfully  prolonged  and  of  such  uncertain  issue, 
the  general  health  of  these  hardy  voyagers  remained  good,  and  when 
their  trials  and  anxieties  were  ended,  they  soon  regained  their  usual 
strength."  The  drift  of  the  floe  had  been  that  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety  days.  For  the  interesting  details  of  the  sufferings,  hardy  en- 
durance, and  final  safety  of  officers,  seamen,  and  Eskimos,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  volume  of  Admiral  Davis,  which  has  been  named.  The 
track  of  the  floe  will  be  found  marked  on  the  circumpolar  map  (Pocket 
of  the  present  volume). 


RELIEF   SHIPS    SENT   FOR   THE   RESCUE   OF   THE   "POLARIS. 

The  information  brought  by  the  floe-party  concerning  the  situation 
of  the  "  Polaris,"  when  last  seen  by  them,  induced  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment to  take,  prompt  measures  for  the  rescue  of  her  officers  and  crew. 
Two  vessels  were  dispatched,  the  sealing  vessel  "Tigress,"  and  the 
U.  S.  steamer  "Juniata."  The  "Tigress"  was  further  fitted  out  at 
the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  for  all  the  dangers  of  Arctic  navigation,  and 
the  possibility  of  wintering  in  the  north ;  this  delayed  her  sailing  until 
July  14.  Her  higher  officers  were :  Commander  J.  A.  Greer ;  Lieuten- 
ant Commander  H.  C.  White  ;  Lieutenants  Wilkins,  Berry,  and  Sebree ; 
with  Captain  Tyson,  ice-master,  and  ranking  as  Acting  Lieutenant. 

The  "  Juniata "  was  made  ready  to  carry  coal  and  other  supplies  for 
the  "  Tigress,"  and  to  prosecute  the  search  herself  as  far  as  was  prudent 
for  a  vessel  not  built  or  strengthened  for  Arctic  navigation.  She  was 
under  the  command  of  Commander  D.  L.  Braine,  whose  chief  under- 
officers  were  Lieutenant  Commander  Merriman,  and  Lieutenants  De- 


CRUISE   OF  THE   LAUNCH.  325 

Long,  Ide,  McClellan,  and  Chipp.  The  "Juniata"  entered  Sukker- 
toppen  July  17,  Holsteinborg  on  the  18th,  and  Disco  on  the  29th.  Here 
Commander  Braine  found  the  stores  left  by  the  "  Congress  "  and  the 
"  Polaris  "  apparently  in  good  order  ;  he  left  coal  and  other  stores  for 
the  "  Tigress."  At  Upernavik,  after  consultation  with  Governor  Ru- 
dolph, he  endeavored  to  open  communication  with  the  "  Polaris "  by 
means  of  the  Eskimos;  they  refused  to  go  North.  He  learned  that 
early  in  June  two  English  steam-whalers  had  touched  at  Disco,  and 
having  been  informed  of  the  rescue  of  the  floe  party  and  probable  con- 
dition of  the  "  Polaris  "  had  promised  to  keep  a  lookout  for  her  on  their 
passage  north.  He  concluded  that  these  whalers  would  examine  the 
western  shore  of  Baffin's  Bay,  and  if  the  east  coast  were  now  examined 
by  the  steam-launch  of  the  "Juniata,"  the  "Tigress"  might  soon  pro- 
ceed on  the  direct  route  to  Northumberland  Island. 


DeLONG'S  cruise   in   the  little   "JUNIATA." 

The  launch  was  sheathed,  her  bows  were  armed  with  iron,  and 
her  propeller  guarded  with  an  iron  frame :  her  task  would  be  to  skirt 
the  fast  ice  of  the  coast,  collect  all  the  information  possible,  and  re- 
turn by  August  1,  which  would  probably  be  before  the  arrival  of 
the  "  Tigress "  at  Upernavik.  She  was  provisioned  for  sixty  days, 
and  supplied  with  coal  for  seventeen  days'  full  steaming,  and  was 
commanded  by  Lieutenant  DeLong,  whose  officers  were  Lieutenant 
C.  W.  Chipp,  and  Ensign  S.  H.  May  with  Mr.  H.  W.  Dodge  ice- 
pilot.  The  little  "Juniata"  steamed  northward,  winding  her  way 
among  the  icebergs  and  keeping  close  into  land.  August  4,  she 
was  shut  up  in  a  pack  consisting,  as  far  as  could  be  seen,  of  solid  ice 
from  one  to  two  feet  thick,  with  large  hummocks  and  icebergs ;  on  the 
next  morning  she  again  entered  the  open  sea,  and  on  the  8th  saw  Cape 
York,  but  between  it  and  the  boat  a  solid  pack  of  three  or  four  feet  in 
thickness  through  which  an  opening  was  looked  for  in  vain. 

The  little  launch  was  now  in  great  danger ;  the  wind  had  increased 
to  a  gale,  the  sea-spray  was  thrown  over  the  tops  of  the  bergs ;  the 
launch  at  times  was  half  buried,  shipping  large  quantities  of  water,  and 


326  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

it  rained  in  torrents.  She  remained  in  this  condition  for  thirty  hours, 
during  which  a  fire  was  lighted  under  the  boiler  only  by  pouring  oil 
plentifully  over  cotton  waste  and  junk,  as  the  matches  and  tinder  were 
wet,  and  it  was  several  hours  before  a  friction  match,  kept  near  the 
skin,  had  dried  enough  to  be  lighted.  The  return  to  port  was  neces- 
sary. DeLong  therefore  went  back  by  another  route,  that  of  the  mid- 
channel,  and  on  the  12th  communicated  with  the  "  Tigress,"  which  had 
now  arrived  at  Tessuissak,  and  rejoined  the  "  Juniata  "  at  Upernavik. 

August  31,  the  "Juniata"  sailed  for  St.  John's,  and  on  arriving 
there  and  informing  the  Navy  Department  that  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  "  Polaris  "  were  reported  to  have  sailed  south  early  in  June  in  boats, 
was  instructed  by  the  Secretary  to  continue  the  search ;  but  at  mid- 
night of  September  18,  when  sixty-five  miles  north  of  St.  John's,  was 
overtaken  by  the  British  steamer  "  Hector,"  which  informed  the  com- 
mander of  the  safety  of  the  "Polaris"  party  ;  grateful  news,  which,  hav- 
ing been  telegraphed  from  Dundee,  where  the  "Polaris"  party  was,  was 
taken  out  to  sea  from  St.  John's  by  U.  S.  Consul  Mollon. 

In  the  meantime  the  "  Tigress  "  had  sailed  from  Upernavik,  July  11, 
examined  Netik  Harbor,  on  the  14th,  and  the  same  day,  landed  at  the 
spot  occupied  by  the  Polaris  crew  the  preceding  winter. 

The  Polaris  House  was  still  standing,  with  its  bunks,  mattrasses, 
furniture,  galley,  etc.,  but  provisions,  instruments,  books,  and  stores  were 
everywhere  scattered  along  the  shore.  The  "Tigress"  took  on  board  all 
the  manuscripts,  a  mutilated  log-book  and  all  other  books  not  torn  into 
pieces  ;  no  cairn  or  place  of  concealment  for  records  was  found.  Com- 
mander Greer  was  told  by  the  chief  of  the  Eskimos  that,  some  time 
after  the  departure  of  the  crew  of  the  "  Polaris,"  she  had  broken  from 
her  hawsers,  forced  further  down  towards  the  passage  between  Little- 
ton Island  and  the  mainland,  and  sunk.  The  broken  hawsers  were 
seen,  and  the  chief  said  he  saw  the  ship  go  down. 

At  this  date  an  ice-pack  extended  across  Smith  Sound  northward  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Commander  Greer  stood  southward,  passed 
Cape  York  near  enough  to  have  seen  signals,  but  could  learn  nothing 
of  the  lost  party  on  his  way,  or  at  Tessuissak  or  UiDernavik.  He  re- 
turned to   Godhavn.      In  accordance  with   his  instructions  to  make 


J 


ALL   OF   THE  POLARIS   PARTY   SAFE.  327 

thorough  search,  after  refitting  at  Disco,  he  crossed  Davis  Straits  and 
tried  to  get  into  Exeter  Sound,  but  found  the  ice  packed  tight  to  the 
shore.  October  4,  he  made  another  run  to  the  northward  without 
meeting  the  objects  of  his  search,  and  on  the  10th  of  November  an- 
chored in  New  York.  He  had  come  to  the  reasonable  conclusion  that 
the  Polaris  party  had  been  picked  up  by  a  whaler,  having  learned  on 
this  cruise  that  nine  had  expected  to  sight  Cape  York.  The  rescue 
thus  anticipated  by  Commander  Greer  had  been  effected  under  the 
following  circumstances. 

RESCUE   OF  THE  POLARIS  PARTY  BY  THE   "  RAVENSCRAIG." 

Six  weeks  after  the  rescue  of  the  floe  party  under  Tyson,  the  four- 
teen officers  and  men  of  the  Expedition  who  had  been  left  on  the 
"  Polaris "  were  ready  to  take  up  their  still  hopeful  journey  to  the 
soutward.  While  waiting  the  day  of  departure,  Mr.  Bryan  and  Dr. 
Bessels  had  visited  Dr.  Hayes'  Fort  Foulke  in  order  to  determine  the 
meridian  difference  between  that  place  and  Polaris  House. 

The  stores  which  could  not  be  carried  away  were  now  carefully 
deposited,*  and  on  the  3d  of  June,  1872,  the  two  boats'  crews,  under 

*  Captain  Nares  in  the  report  of  his  voyage  to  the  Polar  sea  says: 

On  a  visit  to  Life-boat  Cove,  July  28,  1875,  it  vi-as  found  that  no  part  of  the  Polaris 
house  remained  intact,  but  pieces  of  wood,  cases,  empty  tins,  and  other  "odds  and  ends" 
marked  the  site.  Within  the  cairn  made  on  the  departure  of  Budington's  party  nothing 
was  found,  but  apart  from  each  other,  and  without  any  protection  were  found  four  or 
five  boxes  each  covered  with  heavy  stones  and  containing  many  small  articles  of  great  use 
to  the  Eskimos,  yet  apparently  undisturbed.  A  few  books  were  found,  but  no  pendulum, 
transit  instrument,  or  chronometer.  From  the  stores  left  by  the  '*  Polaris,"  the  English 
Expedition  of  1875  received  much  beneflt,  an  acknowledgment  of  which  will  be  foimd  in 
Captain  Nares'  Report.  Captain  Budington  had  made  three  deposits;  lists  of  which  will 
be  found  on  pages  668  and  669  of  "  The  North  Polar  Expedition  of  1871."  Captain  Nares 
says  :  "But  for  the  valuable  deposits  of  provisions  established  by  the  '  Polaris'  at  Hall's 
Rest,  Lieutenant  Beaumont  would  have  found  the  greatest  difficulty  in  obtaining  sui>- 
plies." 

August  19,  1876,  Captain  Allen  Young,  of  the  "Pandora"  (late  the  "  .Jeannette"),  on 
a  visit  to  Polaris  Camp,  found  some  relics  of  Hall's  Expedition  which,  with  the  original 
records  left  on  Littleton  Island  in  a  cairn  by  Captain  Hartstene,  U.  S.X.,  when  cruising 
in  1855  for  the  relief  of  Kane,  he  forwarded  to  the  U.  S.  Government. 

A  bag  of  wheat  was  found  at  Polaris  Bay,  which  was  sent  to  the  Arctic  regions  from 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  of  Washington,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  power  of 


BUDINGTOX'S  TAKTV^  LANDS  ON   NORTHUMBERLAND   ISLAND. 


"SHIP  AHOY."  329 

Captain  Budington  and  Mate  Chester,  left  the  shore  of  the  Polaris 
house,  lat.  78°  23'  30"  N.,  long.  73°  21'  10"  W.  at  2.30  a.m.,  and  stood 
down  the  coast  with  a  fair  wind,  Chester  being  ahead.  South  of  Cape 
Alexander  they  came  to  a  loose  pack  which  they  could  not  enter,  and 
returned  to  Sorfalik.  Launched  again  on  the  4th,  they  shaped  a  straight 
course  for  Hakluyt  Islands  to  which  they  pulled  by  9.20  p.m.  ;  sleeping 
with  some  comfort  among  the  rocks,  but  in  the  morning  finding  them- 
selves covered  with  snow.  On  the  9th  they  effected  a  temporary  land- 
ing on  Northumberland  Island,  and  on  the  13th  hauled  up  on  Dalrymple 
Island. 

On  the  23d,  after  nearly  losing  one  of  the  boats,  caught  between  the 
floe  and  the  pack,  their  rescue  came  in  lat.  75°  38'  N.,  long.  65°  35'  W. 
At  10  A.M.  of  this  eventful  day.  Mate  Chester  had  electrified  the 
company  'Sy  calling  out  "  Ship  ahoy  I "  The  "  Ravenscraig  "  of  Kirk- 
caldy, Scotland,  a  three-masted  steamer,  was  distant  about  ten  miles 
only,  fastened  to  the  land-ice.  The  Polaris  flag  was  hoisted  on  two 
oars  lashed  together,  and  the  barque  answered  the  signal  by  running 
up  her  ensign  as  soon  as  her  watch  in  the  Crow's  Nest  could  make  out 
the  boat  flag.  They  had  at  first  taken  the  Polaris  men  for  Eskimos,  or 
for  a  boat  party  from  some  lost  whaler ;  this  last  idea  had  been  cor- 
rected on  their  seeing  that  the  people  on  the  ice  wore  hats,  since  all 
the  Scotch  whalers  wear  caps.  Captain  Allen  promptly  sent  ten  men 
with  ship-biscuit  in  their  pockets,  to  relieve  their  anticipated  exhaus- 

cereals  to  resist  the  extremes  of  cold.  After  an  exposure  for  at  least  four  successive  winters 
and  three  summers  at  Polaris  Bay,  out  of  a  small  sample  tried  at  Kew,  England,  by  Sir 
Joseph  Hooker,  sixty-two  per  cent  germinated ;  the  rest  of  this  grain  was  returned  to  the 
Smithsonian  Institution. 

All  the  records  and  articles  brought  from  Polaris  Bay  and  the  boat-camp  in  Newman 
Bay,  together  with  tlie  American  ensign  which  was  hoisted  over  the  grave  of  Captain 
Hall,  during  the  stay  of  our  men  in  the  neighborhood,  were,  on  the  return  of  the  Expedi- 
tion to  England,  forwarded  by  the  British  Admiralty  to  the  United  States  Government. 
A  chronometer  found  at  the  boat-camp,  after  four  years'  exposure  to  the  vicissitudes  of 
Arctic  temperature,  kept  excellent  time  from  the  period  of  its  arrival  on  board  the  "Dis- 
covery," until  that  ship  returned  to  England  in  November,  1876.  Sent  by  the  Admiralty 
to  Washington,  it  was,  after  being  cleaned,  issued  to  the  U.S.S.  "  Quinnebaugli,"  on  which 
ship  it  again  did  good  service.  Returned  to  tlie  U.  S.  Naval  Observatory  on  the  termina- 
tion of  the  cniise,  it  was  reported  by  Lieutenant  Moore  as  late  as  January,  1882,  as  having 
an  excellent  temperature  rate.     It  is  a  trophy. 


Ti'SON'S  CREW  SIGHTING  THE  SCUTCH  WHALER  WHICH  RESCUED  THEM  OFE  LABRADOR. 


AWARDS   BY  CONGRESS.  331 

tion,  to  bring  them  on  board,  and  to  communicate  the  grateful  intelli- 
gence that  their  comrades  on  the  ice-floe  had  been  picked  up. 

The  feelings  of  Captain  Budington's  party  may  be  imagined.  They 
had  never  doubted  their  ability  to  reach  the  Danish  settlements,  had 
accomplished  one-half  the  distance,  had  abundance  of  provisions,  and 
were  inured  to  hardship,  but  the  most  dangerous  part  of  their  journey 
through  the  opening  ice,  the  gales  of  wind,  and  heavy  seas  were  still 
before  their  small,  shallow,  flat-bottomed,  unseaworthy  boats.  At  6  p.m. 
the  rescued  men  were  on  their  weary  tramp  over  the  rotten  ice  and 
soft  snow,  arriving  at  the  ship  at  midnight.  Captain  Allen,  his  sur- 
geon, mate,  and  crew  took  every  care  of  the  suffering  party. 

The  whaler  not  having  finished  her  cruise,  and  being  unfitted  for 
carrying  passengers,  transferred  them  to  other  vessels  homeward  bound. 
Eleven  arrived  at  Dundee  in  the  "  Arctic  "  September  19,  and  at  New 
York,  October  7,  the  remaining  three  reached  Dundee  in  the  "  Eric  " 
October  22,  and  New  York  in  November. 

By  an  act  of  Congress  approved  June  23,  1874,  compensation  and 
acknowledgment  were  authorized  to  be  made  to  the  owners,  officers  and 
sailors  of  all  the  relief  ships,  and  also  to  each  of  the  men  who  walked 
on  the  ice  to  rescue  Captain  Budington's  party.  The  captains  of  the 
*' Ravenscraig,"  "Arctic,"  "Intrepid,"  and  "Eric,"  were  further  informed 
by  the  Navy  Department  that  each  was  at  liberty  to  purchase  a  gold 
pocket  chronometer,  and  to  have  inscribed  thereon  that  it  was  a  token 
of  the  gratitude  of  the  United  States  for  their  kindness  to  the  officers 
and  men  of  the  "  Polaris."  , 

RESUME  OF    hall's  THREE   EXPEDITIONS.  —  HIS   CHARx\CTER.* 

The  three  Expeditions  of  Captain  Hall,  together  with  the  weary 
labors  of  preparation  preceding  each  of  them,  are  his  best  memorials. 
The  narratives  of  his  first  voyage  and  of  his  third  —  the  "Polaris" — are 

•  The  judgments  expressed  in  this  Resume,  which  was  prepared  by  the  author  for  the 
close  of  "  Hall's  Second  Expedition,"  have  been  since  fully  confirmed  by  those  expressed 
in  a  number  of  letters  received  from  Arctic  voyagers,  including  Captain  Allen  Young.  The 
truthfulness  of  some  of  Hall's  statements  in  his  notes  will  be  found  confirmed  in  the  next 
chapter  of  this  volume.     And  it  should  be  said  here,  once  for  all,  in  reply  to  a  recent  com- 


332  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

sufficient  to  disprove  the  idea  sometimes  hastily  expressed  that  he  was 
a  mere  ignorant  and  visionary  dreamer ;  and  the  impress  on  the  minds 
of  those  who  have  inspected  the  precise  and  often  graphic  journals  of 
his  Expeditions,  has  been  such  as  the  evidences  of  a  continuous  frank 
truthfulness  create,  —  the  manifestation  of  an  indomitable  will,  energy, 
and  perseverance  in  the  devout  pursuit  of  the  two  objects  which  have 
been  discussed.  He  believed  them  attainable,  and  believed  himself 
called  to  them  as  to  his  life-work. 

The  testimony  of  one  who,  next  to  his  constant  friend,  Mr.  Grinnell, 
could  best  estimate  his  character,  is  emphatically  clear  to  the  point  that 
Hall  was  a  single-minded,  trusting  man,  who  believed  that  others  were 
like  himself,  and  that  he  would  find  them  such.  In  this  he  often  found 
an  experience  of  disappointment.  His  enthusiasm  concerning  his 
favorite  object  was  extreme  and  abiding,  and  gave  tone  and  color  to  all 
his  words  and  acts.  His  very  want  of  general  knowledge,  and  his 
deficiencies  in  special  departments  of  science  made  him  more  fit  for  an 
explorer  than  a  scientist  could  have  been.  He  looked  upon  explorations 
and  all  which  appertained  to  the  increase  of  geographical  knowledge  as 
far  above  all  else ;  and  this  explains  the  career  of  one  who  had  such  a 
childlike  purpose.  The  more  information  he  could  gather  the  happier 
he  felt.  It  was  indeed  the  disappointment  produced  by  the  obstacles 
thrown  in  his  way  on  his  third  Expedition  which  probably  caused  his 
death.  In  the  lack  of  alt  personal  acquaintance  with  Hall,  this  judg- 
ment, expressed  by  Mr.  J.  Carson  Brevoort,  of  Brooklyn,  and  confirmed 
by  that  of  others  in  the  city  of  New  York,  as  well  as  in  New  London, 
and  Washington,  has  been  the  more  willingly  received  by  the  writer  of 
this  narrative. 

Official  and  other  public  acknowledgments  of  Hall's  worth  have 
freely  appeared  in  the  language  of  the  National  Academy  of  Sciences 
at  the  time  of  the  going  out  of  the  Third  Expedition,  in  the  trust  re- 
plaint  from  the  English  Captain,  W.  P.  Snow,  that  "  Hall  was  not  the  author  of  the  'Arctic 
Researches,'  published  by  Harper  Brothers,  in  1864,"  that  Hall's  journals  and  note- 
books of  his  Second  and  Third  Expeditions  so  closely  exhibited  the  same  style  and 
characteristics  with  the  language  of  the  "Researches"  of  1864-69 as  to  identify  him  un- 
questionably as  the  author  of  that  volume.  Captain  Snow  was  for  a  short  time  only  Hall's 
assistant  in  preparing  it.     His  own  English  naval  record  is  acknowledged. 


TRIBUTE  FROM  THE   FRENCH. 


333 


posed  in  him  by  the  Executive  when  granting  him  the  commission  of 
Captain  of  the  "  Polaris  "  in  1871,  in  the  award  of  the  gold  medal  of 
*'  The  Roquette  Foundation  "  by  the  Societe  de  GSographie  of  Paris, 
and  in  the  tributes  paid  to  his  worth  by  Captain  Sir  George  Nares  at 
his  grave  in  the  far  north,  and  in  his  official  report  of  the  English 
Expedition  of  1875. 

The  extreme  discomforts,  exposures,  and  labors  incident  to  a  resi- 
dence among  the  Eskimos  were  not  unforeseen  when  even  he  entered 


Medal  awarded  by  the  Geographical  Society  of  Paris,  to  Captain  C.  F.  Hall,  as  the  "promoter-in- 
chief  of  the  Polaris  Expedition,  and  as  otherwise  due  him  for  his  previous  labors."  For  the  Report  of 
the  Commission  of  Award,  V.  A.  Malte-Brun,  chief,  see  the  Bulletin  of  the  Society  for  the  year  1S75, 
and  Admiral  Davis'  volume,  page  625.  An  electrotype  of  this  medal,  struclc  at  the  Mint  in  Paris,  was 
part  of  the  Arctic  Collection  placed  by  the  U.  S.  Naval  Observatory  at  the  Centennial. 

upon  his  First  Expedition ;  and  his  experience  then  must  have  neces- 
sarily led  him  to  anticipate  that  greater  trials  would  be  his  lot  on  a 
longer  banishment  from  civilized  life,  and  the  comforts  of  home.  But 
he  avowed  with  sincerity  that  he  would  be  willingly  absent  for  a  term 
of  ten  years  at  least  if  he  saw  a  prospect  of  success.  He  felt  that  lie 
could  trust  his  two  Eskimo  friends  during  so  long  a  stay,  and  yet  it 
seems  surprising  that  with  even  their  help  he  could  on  his  second 
voyage  control  unharmed  so  many  of  the  Innuits,  subordinate  their 
chief,  Ou-e-la,  to  his  purpose,  and  secure  with  such  slender  resources  as 
much  success  as  he  attained.  His  notes  say :  "  Notliing  but  an  experi- 
ence of  years  could  enable  me  to  control  such  untamable  eagles."  Cer- 
tainly the    presence    or  at  times  expected  return  of  the  whalers  to 


334  AMERICAN   EXPLOKATIONS    IN   THE   ICE  ZONES.  ' 

Repulse  Bay  and  other  localities,  had  much  to  do  with  his  ability  to 
maintain  his  authority,  and  next  to  this  was  ■  his  ability  to  supply  the 
wants  of  the  natives  when  suffering ;  and  yet,  perhaps,  above  both  of 
these,  must  be  placed  his  politic  concessions  to  their  low  prejudices  and 
his  self-control.  Very  frequently  in  his  journals  appear  proofs  of  hasty 
judgments,  and  of  suspicions  of  evil  intentions  against  himself  by  the 
whaling  captains  as  well  as  the  Innuits,  but  as  frequently  appear  also 
proofs  of  his  repressing  such  feelings,  and  of  his  recording  his  regrets 
at  having  given  place  to  them  in  his  heart  or  in  his  notes.  The  numer- 
ous delays  experienced  by  his  restless  spirit  from  the  indolence,  and 
especially  from  the  superstitions  of  the  natives  —  delays  too  at  critical 
times  —  were  trying  to  the  temper.  They  were  placed  to  the  wi-ong 
account  when  they  gave  room  for  his  imagination  to  credit  them  to 
purposes  of  evil.  But  his  feelings  were  naturally  stirred  with  some- 
thing besides  pity  when  he  found  lumself  unable  to  obtain  proper  assis- 
tance in  the  hut,  or  move  forward  on  a  journey  because  the  Innuits 
would  neither  eat  nor  suffer  others  to  eat  on  a  given  day,  or  work  until 
a  certain  time  was  passed,  —  to  estimate  all  which  aright,  Hall  must  be 
thought  of  as  a  single  white  man  alone  among  the  degraded,  and  habitu- 
ating himself  to  such  degraded  modes  of  life  with  them  as  can  be 
excused  only  in  the  light  of  his  subordinating  everything  to  his  one 
purpose,  and  of  his  so  living  in  order  to  avoid  the  visits  of  the  scurvy. 
He  experienced  none  of  these. 

It  will  be  a  harsh  criticism  which  pronounces  his  judgment  defect- 
ive or  his  exercise  of  it  hasty.  He  demonstrated  the  correctness  of 
the  belief  he  entertained  from  the  first,  of  his  being  able  to  live  for  a 
long  period  out  of  the  pale  of  civilized  life  by  his  own  passing  through 
it  thus  without  any  protracted  or  extreme  suffering.  He  was  not  then 
far  out  of  the  way  in  supposing  that  some  of  the  Franklin  men  might 
possibly  be  found  as  survivors  among  the  Eskimos. 

His  ability,  industry,  and  perseverance  manifest  themselves  in  the 
long  continued  absence  from  the  endearments  of  his  countrj^  and  home; 
and  in  his  victories  over  what  seemed  to  be  insurmountable.  Through 
the  years  of  struggle  for  an  outfit,  hope  was  more  than  once  nearly 
crushed  at  the  moment  when  success  seemed  sure :  at  the  time  of  his 


FASCINATION   FOR   ARCTIC   LIFE.  3^35 

first  landing  on  the  Second  Expedition,  the  mistake  of  his  captain  cost 
him  a  whole  year's  advance ;  on  his  first  practicable  advance  movement 
his  frightened  party  then  turned  back  their  steps ;  when  provisions  and 
stores  were  again  ready,  he  could  secure  no  team,  and,  after  a  severe 
journey  in  mid-winter  on  his  return,  could  obtain  no  men ;  and  when 
at  last  at  the  end  of  the  fifth  year  of  the  Second  Expedition  —  the  ninth 
of  expectation  and  of  effort  —  he  stood  on  King  William  Land,  it  was 
to  be  hurried  away  before  the  summer  sun  could  lift  the  snow  pall 
from  the  treasures  he  was  seeking. 

Would  it  not  have  been  the  record  of  many  others  that  after  grap- 
pling with  some  only  of  such,  difficulties,  they  would  have  found  them- 
selves at  the  close  of  any  one  year  of  disappointment,  safe  on  board  the 
hospitable  whaler?  Would  not  many  have  justified  themselves  when 
returning  to  their  country  and  reporting  insuperable  obstacles?  Ex- 
peditions largely  equipped  and  led  by  men  of  Arctic  experience  and 
brave  heart,  have  more  than  once  so  returned  to  be  justified  and 
honored  by  their  countrymen.  Hall  had  an  unconquerable  determina- 
tion to  accomplish  something,  and  if  this  be  called  a  mere  enthusiasm, 
it  was  an  enthusiasm  which  led  him  to  endure  and  fight  his  way,  and 
patiently  await  new  issues  and  endure  and  conquer.  Without  such  an 
iron  will,  he  would  never  have  remained  within  these  desolate  regions 
tlu'ough  five  Arctic  winters,  enduring  the  squalid  wretchedness  of  the 
snow-huts ;  nor  have  made  his  sledge  journeys  to  Pelly  Bay,  to  Cape 
Weynton,  to  Ig-loo-lik,  to  Fury  and  Hecla  Straits,  to  Lyons  Inlet,  and  to 
King  William  Land ;  aggregating  more  than  three  thousand  miles. 
His  voyage  out  to  the  Arctic  Regions  and  return,  and  his  surveying 
work  around  Rei)ulse  Bay,  and  the  sledge  journeys  just  referred  to,  foot 
up  a  considerable  excess  over  ten  thousand  miles. 

It  has  not  been  out  of  place  to  say  that  besides  the  extreme  of 
enthusiasm,  a  fascination  for  Arctic  life  laid  hold  upon  him^ — the 
fascination  which  in  one  form  or  another  makes  the  traveller  restless 
while  off  from  his  journey  as  it  does  the  sailor  when  off  the  sea ;  a  fas- 
cination which  has  been  one  of  the  features  of  the  most  interest  in  all 
the  records  of  the  Arctic  Explorations,  notably  in  the  case  of  the 
renewed  voyage  of  Franklin  when  he  with  Back,  went  out  on  his  second 


336  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

land  journey.  If  it  seem  strange  to  the  landsman  that  the  shipwrecked 
mariner  is  ready  for  a  new  cruise,  and  in  his  own  feelings  sometimes, 
safer  in  a  storm  at  sea  than  on  land,  it  is  as  strange  to  contemplate  the 
eager  return  to  Arctic  adventure  and  dangers  by  such  sufferers  as  Frank- 
lin, Back,  Richardson,  Hall,  their  conn-ades  and  followers.  Faith  in  an 
overruling  Providence  and  in  the  cardinal  doctrines  of  the  Christian 
religion  was  evidently  inwrought  in  them ;  in  Hall,  probably,  from  the 
date  of  his  earliest  home-training.  Full  expression  of  tliis  is  found  in 
his  journals. 

The  weakest  part  of  the  record  for  the  years  of  which  the  narrative, 
especially  of  the  Second  Expedition,  speaks,  is,  perhaps,  his  permitting 
himself  to  turn  aside  from  the  long-proposed  journey  to  King  William 
Land  and  lose  a  year  by  his  visit  to  the  Straits  of  Fury  and  Hecla. 
His  motive,  however,  for  this  was  sincerely  in  keeping  with  the  purposes 
of  the  Expedition.  The  possibility  of  yet  finding  a  survivor  of  Frank- 
lin's party  again  loomed  up  before  his  enthusiastic  view,  and  he  thought 
himself  fully  justified  in  making  search  for  traces  of  those  of  whom  the 
Innuits  so  confidently  and  unitedly  spoke  as  existing  in  the  peninsula. 
In  confirmation  of  this  last  remark,  it  is  in  place  here  to  refer  to  the 
following  recent  statement  in  relation  to  this  visit  to  these  Straits. 
Captain  William  Adams,  of  the  Dundee  whaler  "Arctic,"  on  his  return 
from  his  cruise  of  1881,  reported  that  while  his  ship  was  within  fifteen 
miles  of  Fury  and  Hecla  Straits,  a  young  and  intelligent  Eskimo  told 
him  that  when  he  was  a  young  man  in  his  father's  hut,  three  men  came 
over  the  land  toward  Repulse  Bay,  and  that  one  of  them  was  a  great 
captain  when  he  died.  The  other  two  were  in  sore  distress,  and  cried 
very  much,  stating  that  he  was  the  "anigak,"  or  great  captain.  These 
two  lived  some  time  in  his  father's  hut,  and  he  showed  Captain  Adams 
the  spot  on  the  chart  where  they  were  buried.  The  Eskimo,  continuing 
his  narrative,  said  that  seventeen  persons  started  from  two  vessels 
which  had  been  lost  far  to  the  westward,  but  only  three  were  able  to 
survive  the  journey  to  his  father's  hut.     Strange  traditions  ! 

From  all  the  information  furnished  by  the  Eskimo,  Captain  Adams 
has  no  doubt  that  the  vessels  referred  to  were  those  of  the  Franklin 
I^xpedition,  and   that   the   great   captain   mentioned  was  Lieutenant 


TRIBUTES   TO   HALL  BY  THE   ENGLISH.  337 

Crozier.  "Assuming  that  what  the  Eskimo  stated  was  correct,  it  is 
beyond  doubt  that  the  members  of  the  Franklin  Expedition  were 
attempting  to  reach  the  Hudson  Bay  Territory."  Judging  from  the 
present  age  of  the  native,  Captain  Adams  is  of  opinion  that  his  allusion 
to  having  seen  the  men  when  he  was  a  young  man  must  refer  to  a 
period  some  thirty-five  years  ago.  Captain  Adams  is  the  navigator  who 
rendered  assistance  to  the  floe  party  from  the  "Polaris,"  which  was 
rescued  by  the  "  Ravenscraig."  If  Hall's  judgment  was  at  fault,  his 
motives  were  as  commendable  as  they  had  been  when  expressed  in  the 
draughting  of  the  plans  for  his  first  outfit,  or  when  he  wrote  in  answer 
to  Lady  Franklin's  proposal  that  he  should  go  out  a  third  time  for  the 
record:  "As  for  pay,  I  should  ask  nothing." 

Sir  George  Nares,  commanding  the  late  English  Expedition  of  1875, 
has  recorded  in  his  official  report  to  Parliament  his  testimonials  to 
Hall's  fidelity  as  an  Arctic  explorer :  — 

"  The  coast-line  was  observed  to  be  continuous  for  about  tliirty 
miles,  forming  a  bay  bounded  toward  the  west  by  the  United  States 
range  of  mountains,  with  Mounts  Mary  and  Julia,  and  Cape  Joseph 
Henry,  agreeing  so  well  with  Hall's  description,  that  it  was  impossible 
to  mistake  their  identity.  Their  bearings  also,  although  differing  up- 
wards of  thirty  degrees  from  those  of  the  published  chart,  agreed  pre- 
cisely with  his  original  report.  It  was  impossible  to  mistake  their 
identity." 

hall's  grave. 

The  grave  in  which  Captain  Hall  was  buried,  Nov.  10,  1871  (see 
Chap.  VIII.,  page  298),  in  the  month  of  July  following,  was  found  un- 
disturbed, and  was  then  made  to  present  a  better  appearance  than  had 
been  found  practicable  in  November,  when  the  ground  was  frozen.  It 
was  surrounded  with  stones,  soil  transported  to  it  and  a  few  plants 
set  out.     A  head-board  bore  the  inscription :  — 

To  the  memory  of 

C.  F.  Hall, 

Late  Commander  of  the  North  Polar  Expedition;  died  Nov.  8,  1871. 

Aged  50  years. 


338 


AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 


To  which  inscription  in  July,  1872,  Mate  Chester  added  the  words:  — 

"  I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life:  he  that  believeth  on  me,  tliough  he  were  dead, 
yet  shall  he  live." 


CAPTAIN  HALL'S  GRAVE. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  1876,  in  the  presence  of  twenty-four  officers 
and  men,  Captain  Stephenson,  of  the  English  Expedition,  hoisted  the 
American  flag  over  the  grave  of  Captain  Hall,  and  at  the  foot  erected  a 
brass  tablet  which  had  been  prepared  in  England,  bearing  the  follow- 
ing inscriptioQ :  — 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of 

Captain  C.  F.  Hall, 

Of  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Polaris," 

"  Who  sacrificed  his  life  in  the  advancement  of  Science,  November  8,  1871. 

This  tablet  has  been  erected  by  the  British  Polar  Expedition  of  1875, 

Who,  following  in  his  footsteps,  have  profited  by  his  experience." 

He  also  reported  to  Captain  Nares  that  the  grave  was  found  in  an  excel- 
lent state  of  preservation.    The  willow  planted  by  Tyson  was  still  alive. 


i 


JOE  AND   HANNAH.  339 

THE  ESKIMOS.  —  HALL's   COlVrP ANIONS. 

At  the  close  of  this  narrative  of  Hall's  work,  it  may  be  conceded  as 
something  due  in  simple  justice  to  the  two  Eskimos  who  have  been  so 
frequently  named  within  the  previous  pages,  that  a  few  items  of  their 
personal  history  be  recorded.  Through  all  the  trials  of  Hall's  three 
expeditions  —  a  period  of  more  than  ten  years,  —  they  were  not  only 
his  steadfast  friends,  but  indispensable  supporters,  without  whom  he 
could  never  have  carried  forward  his  investigations,  or  have  kept,  in 
some  emergencies,  even  his  life  among  the  Innuits.  Joe  Ebierbing 
was,  as  has  frequently  appeared  in  the  narrative,  Hall's  dependence 
as  hunter.  On  repeated  occasions,  by  his .  native  skill  in  the  use 
of  the  lance  and  line  and  by  his  readily  learned  use  of  the  rifle,  he 
procured  food  in  the  darkest  days  of  want,  not  for  Hall  alone,  but 
often  for  the  less  skilful  and  suffering  Innuits  around  him ;  mate- 
rially aiding  Hall  by  this  beyond  the  bare  support  of  the  lives  saved, 
and  gaining  for  the  expedition  lasting  good  will  and  help.  Hannah 
was  perhaps  the  more  intelligent,  and,  as  a  woman,  naturally  of 
quicker  perception  in  the  things  of  every  day  life,  which  would 
serve  the  necessities  of  the  white  man  among  strangers.  She  proved 
an  interpreter  without  whom  every  effort  to  understand  the  natives  of 
Cumberland  Gulf,  of  Repulse  Bay,  of  Ig-loo-lik,  of  Pelly  Bay,  or  of 
the  country  on  the  route  to  King  William  Land  would  have  been 
hopeless,  —  every  one  of  Hall's  journeys  and  talks  with  the  Innuits 
nearly  useless. 

But  beyond  all  this,  the  heroic  conduct  of  these  two  on  the  last  of 
Hall's  voyages  claims  a  tribute.  It  must  be  very  plain  to  every  reader 
of  the  narrative  of  that  "  Polaris  "  voyage  that  these  Eskimos  saved  the 
lives  of  Tyson's  party  on  the  fearful  ice-floe  drift  of  more  than  one 
thousand  two  hundred  miles. 

In  the  early  days  of  that  suffering,  when  the  floe  was  drifting  past 
Cumberland  Sound  and  was  nearly  opposite  their  native  place,  the 
temptation  presented  itself  to  this  couple  to  escape  to  the  mainland. 
"  Father  Hall "  was  gone  from  them,  and,  at  that  time  there  were  just 
grounds  of  fear  within  their  breasts  that,  in  the  almost  famishing  con- 


340  A]VIERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

dition  of  the  white  men,  some  of  them  might  make  the  Eskimos  the 
first  victims,  if  the  direst  necessity  should  come. 

Hannah  listened  to  no  words  of  such  persuasion,  but  strengthened 
Joe's  purpose  to  remain ;  a  hunter  for  the  seal  and  the  bear  was  thus 
still  to  be  at  hand  for  the  saving  of  men  whose  skill  in  such  hunts  was 
plainly  as  unequal  to  their  need  as  was  their  diminished  strength.  Of 
his  true  worth  in  this  respect,  the  most  convincing  proof  came  toward 
the  last  days  of  those  dark  months.  The  story  of  this  is  told  in  full  on 
the  568th  page  of  Admiral  Davis's  Narrative,  where  it  will  be  found  re- 
corded that  on  the  22d  April,  1873,  when  Tyson's  party  on  the  floe, 
weakened  by  their  six  months'  exposure,  were  on  that  day,  half 
drowned,  cold,  and  almost  literally  without  a  morsel  of  food,  Joe,  on 
going  out  for  the  fourth  time  to  watch,  saw  a  bear  coming  toward  the 
party,  hurried  back  for  his  gun,  and,  requesting  all  hands  to  lie  per- 
fectly still,  returned  with  his  companion  Hans^  and  with  his  aid  in- 
stantly killed  the  ferocious  animal.  At  this  point  in  his  narrative 
Admiral  Davis  says:  "But  for  the  rifles  in  this  extreme  emergency, 
this  story  would  not  have  been  written." 

Joe  and  Hannah  were  natives  of  Cumberland  Inlet,  where  Captain 
S.  O.  Budiugton,  of  Groton,  first  met  them  in  the  fall  of  1851,  on  the 
Island  of  Kira-ick-su-ic, — an  island  that  gets  its  name  from  its  flat 
centre,  which,  covered  with  grass,  gives  it  the  look  of  a  dog-skin. 
Captain  Budington  wintered  there  in  about  lat.  65°  30",  long.  62°,  when 
in  command  of  the  "  McLellan,"  of  New  London.  Hannah,  who  was 
born  at  Cape  Sorrel  on  the  west  side  of  Davis  Strait,  was  at  the  time 
of  Captain  Budington's  visit  only  about  twelve  years  of  age,  and  Joe, 
who  was  then  married  to  another  woman,  seemed  to  Budington  at  that 
time  "as  old  as  he  does  to-day."  Cape  Sorrel  was  a  whaling  station, 
much  visited  by  English  and  American  sailors,  and  frequented  by  the 
Eskimos  of  Cumberland  Gulf  for  trade.  A  few  years  afterward,  Mr. 
Bolby,  a  merchant  of  Hull,  became  much  interested  in  these  two  per- 
sons, and  took  them  with  him  in  his  own  vessel  on  his  return  voyage 
from  the  Gulf.  In  England  he  treated  them  as  his  guests  with  great 
liberality.  They  were  married  in  his  house  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
company,  and,  with  Mr.  Bolby,  visited  in  their  native  costume  many 


LIFE  AT   GROTON.  341 

places  in  England  and  Scotland,  and  were  presented  to  Queen  Victoria, 
and  dined  with  her  and  the  Prince  Consort.  Hannah  always  spoke  of 
the  Queen  as  "  Very  kind,  very  much  lady." 

Hannah's  willingness  to  leave  her  country  seems  to  have  been  pro- 
duced by  her  desire  to  keep  her  husband  with  her ;  he  was  at  the  time 
being  persuaded  to  leave  her  for  another  wife.  His  uncle  U-gack  was  re- 
ported as  having  had  twenty  wives,  three  of  them  living  with  him  at  one 
time.  At  the  time  of  Hall's  return  to  the  United  States,  Joe,  who  had 
been  sick,  was  ordered  by  the  an-ge-ko  to  take  another  wife  as  the  only 
way  to  get  well ;  but  to  his  own  best  future  success,  as  is  well  known, 
he  came  over  with  Hannah  to  the  United  States.  His  father  had  died 
when  quite  young :  his  half  brother  Ita-loo,  left  on  the  island,  was  met 
with  in  the  year  1873  by  Captain  Greer,  U.  S.  N.,  of  the  relief  ship 
•  **  Tigress,"  came  with  him  to  New  York,  spent  the  winter  in  Groton, 
and  died  shortly  after  getting  back  to  his  native  land. 

Joe  and  Hannah  after,  as  has  been  shown,  assisting  Hall  in  his  pre- 
parations for  the  Second  Expedition,  and  closely  attending  him  through 
the  years  1864-69,  again  accompanied  him  on  his  last  voyage  in  the 
"Polaris,"  1871,  and  returned  to  the  United  States  with  the  floe  party. 
They  were  as  much  attached  to  "Father  Hall "  as  he  was  to  them. 

In  a  home  purchased  for  them  by  him,  in  Groton,  Connecticut,  they 
soon  commenced  housekeeping  in  1873,  readily  adapting  themselves 
to  the  customs  of  civilized  life.  Joe  became  a  good  carpenter  and  farm 
hand,  retaining  his  old  love  for  fishing.  Hannah  was  soon  skilful  in 
making  up,  with  the  help  of  her  sewing-machine,  furs  and  other  salable 
articles  for  the  people  of  New  London  and  Groton. 

Their  first  child,  Tu-ke-li-ke-ta,  had  died  in  New  York  in  the  winter 
of  1863 ;  the  second  had  been  buried  on  the  first  sledge  journey  to 
King  William  Land  in  1866 ;  a  third,  which  Joe  adopted  in  1868,  with 
the  consent  of  its  parents  and  by  the  gift  of  a  sled  to  them  from  Hall, 
came  with  him  to  the  United  States  in  1869.  Hannah  named  the  child 
Sylvia,  after  her  friend  Miss  Grinnell.  The  girl  was  an  intelligent 
scholar  at  the  Groton  school  until  her  death  in  1875. 

The  health  of  this  couple  had  been  repeatedly  broken  during  the 
long  period  of  suffering  of  the  years  1864  to  1869 ;  and  they  do  not 


342 


AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 


OU-SE-GONG  (JEANNIE). 


seem  to  have  been  readily  acclimated  in  the  United  States.  The  ter- 
rible experience  of  the  ice- 
^oe  especially  had  left 
severe  traces  on  them. 
During  the  year  1876, 
Hannah  suffered  much 
with  that  fatal  disease 
consumption ;  a  disease 
which  carries  off  the  larg- 
er number  of  her  race.  It 
had  been  long  gaining 
upon  her.  She  bitterly 
felt  the  loss  of  her  last 
child  and  the  absence  of 
her  husband,  who,  after 
having  been  again  out  in 
the  Arctic  regions  with 
Captain  Allen  Young,  of  the  "  Pandora,"  was  then  doing  good  service 
on  board  a  vessel  belong- 
ing to  the  United  States 
Fish  Commission.  Han- 
nah had  become  a  true 
Christian  ;  read  her  Bible, 

and  showed  a  quiet,  good  :^,^^^^MJ^^R^^y/  -  -^ 

life.      After   a   season   of 


^ 

^ 
« 


protracted  suffering,    ^ 

throughout  which  she  was 

tenderly  cared  for  by  Mrs. 

Captain     Budington    and 

other    friends   in    Groton, 

she  breathed   her  last,  as 

the    old    year   went    out, 

December  31,  1876,  at  the 

early  age   of  thirty-eight. 

Her  death  was  tranquil.     Among  her  last  words  was  the  petition, 

"Come,  Lord  Jesus,  and  take  thy  poor  creature  home!" 


KUD-LUP-PA-MUNE  (ABBOTT). 


THE  GROTON   CEMETERY.  843 

In  June,  1878,  Joe  again  sailed  for  the  Arctic  zone  with  the  party  sent 
out  by  Morison  &  Brown,  of  New  York,  and  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Schwatka,  U.  S.  A.,  to  prosecute  a  renewed  search  for  the  records  of  Sir 
John  Franklin's  Expedition.  Mr.  J.  Carson  Brevoort,  of  New  York, 
Mr.  J.  J.  Copp,  Captain  Budiugton,  and  others  had  unhesitatingly 
renewed  their  indorsement  of  the  industry,  honesty,  and  truthfulness 
of  this  simple-minded  Eskimo  man,  who  has  received  from  the  U.  S. 
Government  much  less  compensation  for  noble  services  than  perhaps 
any  other  one  of  the  "  Polaris  "  Expedition.  He  has  not  returned  to 
the  United  States. 

MEMORIALS. 

In  the  quiet  cemetery  on  the  hillside  of  Groton,  may  be  found  a  few 
tombstones  set  up  by  its  citizens  in  memory  of  nearly  all  the  Eskimos 
who  have  visited  the  United  States.  One  of  these  stones  bears  the  name 
of  him  who,  going  out  with  Hall,  died  on  board  the  "  George  Henry  " 
while  eagerly  inquiring  as  he  again  neared  his  native  land,  "  Do  you 
see  ice,  ice  ?  " 

Kun-LA-GO, 

Died  July  1,  1860, 

On  another  tombstone  will  be  read,  — 

Ou-SE-GONG  (Jeannie). 
Died  July  1st,  1867.    Aged  28  years. 

Ou-se-gong  was  a  cousin  of  Joe,  and  wife  of  Kud-lup-pa-mune,  known 
by  the  whalers  as  "  Abbott." 

Captain  Budington  brought  these  two  Eskimos  from  Cumberland 
Inlet  to  New  London  in  1866 ;  on  their  return  with  him  the  next  year, 
Jeannie  died  on  the  voyage.  Two  smaller  headstones  put  up  for 
Hannah's  children  have  on  them  the  inscriptions :  — 

Ttr-KE-LI-KE-TA. 

Died  Feby.  28,  1863.    Aged  18  months. 
And 

Sylvia  Gkixxei.l  Ebiebbing 

(Punna). 

Bom  at  Ig-loo-lik,  July,  1866. 

Died  March  18,  1875. 

"  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 


344  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

"She  was  a  survivor  of  the  Polaris  Expedition  under  Commander  Charles  Francis 
Hall,  and  was  picked  up  with  nineteen  others  from  an  ice-floe,  April  30, 1873,  after  a  drift 
on  the  ice  for  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  days  and  a  distance  of  nearly  twelve 
hundred  miles." 

On  a  visit  to  these  graves  in  1878,  when  making  inquiries  of  Eskimo 
Joe  in  regard  to  some  facts  for  use  in  the  Narrative  of  "  Hall's  Second 
Arctic  Expedition,"  he  was  observed  to  kneel  at  Hannah's  grave  and 
carefully  weed  out  the  long  grass.  Then  turning  to  his  visitors  he  said, 
"  Hannah  gone !  Punna  gone  !  me  go  now  again  to  King  William  Land; 
if  have  to  fight,  me  no  care." 

Over  the  grave  of  the  faithful  Hannah,  the  interpreter  of  each  Ex- 
pedition, and  the  friend  who  wept  at  Hall's  burial,  has  recently  been 
placed  an  elegant  granite  headstone  with  the  monogram  J.  &  H.  and 
an  inscription,  designed  for  her  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Copp  and  other  true 
friends. 


LIEUTENANT  FREDERICK  SCHWATKA,  U.S.A.,  MEDALLIST  OF  THE 
SOCIETE  DE  GEOGRAPHIE,  1883. 

From  "  Schwatka's  Search,"  by  W.  H.  Gilder.   Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

SLEDGE  JOURNEY  OF  LIEUTENANT  SCHWATKA,  U.  S.  A. 

REPORTS  FROM  HUDSON'S  BAY  WHICH  OCCASIONED  THE  JOURNEY. — 
SAILING  OF  THE  "EOTHEN."  —  ARRIVAL  AT  DEPOT  ISLAND.  —  THE 
TRUE  STORY  OF  "THE  SPOON."  —  DECISION  TO  CROSS  TO  KING 
WILLIAM  LAND.  —  MEETING  WITH  THE  INNUITS  ;  THEIR  STORIES. — 
VISIT  TO  THE  CAIRN.  —  REMAINS  OF  LIEUTENANT  IRVING,  R.  N., 
IDENTIFIED.  —  JOURNEY  TO  CAPE  FELIX.  —  NO  RECORDS  FOUND. — 
RELICS  OF  franklin's  EXPEDITION.  —  CAMPING  OUT  AND  SLEDGE 
JOURNEY,  OCTOBER,  1879,  TO  MARCH  4,  1880.  —  RETURN  TO  THE 
UNITED  STATES.  —  AWARD  OF  A  MEDAL  BY  THE  GEOGRAPHICAL 
SOCIETY   OF  PARIS.  —  RECOGNITION   OF  THE   WORK  BY   CONGRESS. 

IT  has  been  shown  in  the  previous  chapters,  that  the  sole  official  or 
other  record  which  ever  has  been  received  from  the  ships  of  Sir 
John  Franklin,  is  the  paper  found  by  Lieutenant  McClintock, 
R.  N.,  in  1859.  The  furthest  exploration  made  by  Captain  Hall,  as 
related  in  Chapter  VII.,  was  in  the  region  of  the  wrecked  ships  ;  but 
Hall  learned  as  to  the  existence  of  records  or  journals  merely  the 
traditions  and  stories  of  the  Neit-chi-llis,  that  in  the  cairns  which  he  was 
unable  to  visit,  books  and  papers  might  be  found.  This  report  he 
published  through  the  press  on  his  return  in  1869;  he  contemplated 
a  new  journey  for  them. 

The  value  of  the  records  to  the  English  Government  and  to  science, 
as  well  as  to  history,  still  left  in  the  minds  of  some  a  lingering  desire 
for  further  search.  In  1875  it  was  one  of  the  objects  of  Captain  Allen 
Young  of  the  "Pandora"  (late  the  "Jeannette,"  under  Lieutenant 
DeLong),  who  states  in  his  history  of  the  two  voyages,  that  the  pur- 
poses of  his  first  voyage  were  to  visit  the  western  coast  of  Greenland, 
thence  to  proceed  through  Baffin's  Sea,  Lancaster  Sound,  and  Barrow 
Strait,  toward^  the  magnetic  Pole,  and,  if  practicable,  to  navigate 
through  the  northwest  passage  to  the  Pacific   Ocean  in  one  season 

a4o 


346  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

adding:  "As,  in  following  this  route,  the  'Pandora'  would  pass  King 
William  Land,  it  was  proposed,  if  successful  in  reaching  that  locality, 
in  the  summer  season,  when  the  snow  was  off  the  land,  to  make  a 
search  for  further  records  and  for  the  journals  of  the  ships  '  Erebus ' 
and  '  Terror.' "  Captain  Young,  however,  found  himself  beset  by  an 
impenetrable  pack  at  the  Roquette  Islands  in  Franklin  Channel,  one 
hundred  and  forty  miles  from  Point  Victory,  —  a  disappointment  which 
was  more  severely  felt  because,  the  day  before,  his  ship  had  run  south- 
ward through  Peel's  Straits  with  a  clear  sea,  with  no  sign  of  ice,  and 
with  every  prospect  of  reaching  King  William  Land,  and  accomplishing 
the  northwest  passage. 

Three  years  later,  the  search  for  the  records  was  renewed  by  Lieu- 
tenant Schwatka,  U.  S.  A.  For  the  recovery  of  these  long-desired 
treasures,  nothing  was  accomplished,  simply  because  nothing  was  pos- 
sible ;  but  the  journey  has  added  facts  of  value  to  the  domain  of 
Geography,  and  its  records  exhibit  an  experience  of  remarkable  energy, 
perseverance,  and  fortitude,  entitling  it  to  a  worthy  place  in  the  story 
of  American  Exploration.  The  sledging  has  no  parallel  in  Arctic 
history. 

The  immediate  occasion  of  the  Expedition  was  the  renewal  of  the 
old  story  brought  back  from  the  Neit-chi-lli  Eskimos  by  two  American 
whaling-masters,  Captains  Potter  and  Barry,  that  books  and  papers 
were  to  be  found  in  a  cairn  in  King  William  Land.  The  first  of  these 
stories  seems  to  have  been  related  by  Captain  Potter  in  1872;  he  had 
been  frozen  up  twenty-four  months  in  Repulse  Bay  and  thence  brought 
to  New  York,  spoons,  forks  and  knives  engraved  with  the  crests  and  ini- 
tials of  Franklin,  Crozier,  and  Fitz  James ;  reporting  that  the  Neit-chi-llis 
had  spoken  of  papers  and  books  laid  away  in  a  cairn  by  the  last  white  man 
who  had  visited  their  country.  This  report,  again  renewed  in  1877,  on 
the  return  of  Captain  Barry,  one  of  Potter's  former  companions,  opened 
up  the  presumption  that  the  books  might  be  the  ships'  logs  and  notes  of 
scientific  observations.  For  their  recovery  the  British  Government  for 
many  years  had  held  open  a  large  reward,  and  although  this  had  now 
lapsed,  Messrs.  Morrison  and  Brown,  owners  of  Barry's  vessel,  the 
"  Eothen,"  were  officially  informed  that  if  the  proposed  search  were 


schwatka's  instructions.  347 

successful,  liberal  compensation  would  be  made.  Lieutenant  Fred- 
erick Schwatka,  of  the  3d  U.  S.  Cavalry,  of  Polish  descent  but  American 
birth,  had  previously  become  eager  to  organize  a  search  party  and 
find  the  cairn  and  buried  papers;  on  conference  with  the  shipping 
merchants  named,  his  offer  to  organize  an  expedition  was  accepted  and 
the  ship  fitted  out  by  private  subscriptions.  The  enterprise  was  en- 
couraged by  Judge  Daly,  President  of  the  Geographical  Society  of 
New  York,  who  endorsed  the  Lieutenant's  application  to  General  Sher- 
man for  leave  of  absence  from  regular  army  duty. 

June  19,  1878,  Schwatka  sailed  from  New  York  accompanied  by  Mr. 
William  H.  Gilder  as  second  in  command ;  Henry  Klutschak,  who  had 
passed  through  some  Arctic  experiences ;  Melms,  an  old  whaleman ; 
and  Joe  Ebierbing,  who  had  returned  from  his  last  Polar  Expedition, 
under  Captain  Young  of  the  "  Pandora."  The  "  Eothen,"  commanded 
by  Captain  T.  F.  Barry,  was  a  stout  vessel  of  one  hundred  and  two 
tons ;  her  crew  numbered  twenty-three  men.  >f  or  encounters  with  the 
ice,  her  hull  had  been  overlaid  to  the  chain  plates  with  oak  planking 
one  and  a  half  inches  thick,  and  her  stem,  covered  with  oak  two  feet 
thick ;  the  iron  plating  on  it,  three  fourths  of  an  inch.  In  addition  to 
a  fair  outfit,  including  arms  and  ammunition,  boxes  were  shipped  in  the 
hopeful  idea  of  the  records,  and  tobacco  stored  in  abundance  for  the 
use  of  such  Eskimos  as  might  have  stories  to  tell  or  assistance  to  offer. 
Horseradish  was  taken  as  an  anti-scorbutic. 

Within  the  instructions  furnished  to  the  Lieutenant,  he  was  advised, 
that,  if  he  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  find  the  records,  remains,  or  relics, 
their  contents  should  be  kept  secret ;  and  if  he  should  find  the  remains 
of  Sir  John  Franklin  or  any  of  his  party  he  would  properly  take  care 
of  them,  and  bring  them  to  the  United  States.  Should  the  expedition 
prove  a  failure  in  its  chief  object,  he  was  to  make  it  a  geographical 
success,  as  he  would  be  compelled  to  travel  over  a  great  deal  of 
unexplored  country,  and  would  make  daily  observations  and  be  able 
to  discover  and  mark  errors  on  the  existing  charts.  This  Schwatka 
effected. 

The  first  iceberg  was  seen  July  11.  On  the  19th  in  lat.  59°  54'  N., 
long.  60°  45  W.  before  midnight  nearly  seventy  at  different  hours  were 


848  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS  ,IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

in  sight ;  one,  says  Captain  Gilmer,  appearing  like  a  huge  circus-tent 
with  an  adjoining  side-show  booth,  while  near  by,  another  was  a  most 
perfect  representation  of  a  cottage  by  the  sea,  with  gables  towards  the 
observer  and  chimneys  rising  at  proper  intervals  along  the  roof;  one 
other  seemed  a  perfect  counterpart  of  Newstead  Abbey:  the  ivy  seemed 
creeping  over  its  sides,  so  deceptive  were  the  shadows  that  fell  on  it 
from  pinnacles  and  horizontal  projections  innumerable." 

August  7,  1878,  the  ship  reached  Whale  Point  at  the  entrance  of 
Rowe's  Welcome,  an  arm  of  Hudson's  Bay,  and  was  soon  visited  by  a 
large  number  of  the  natives,  among  whom  were  Ar-mou  (the  wolf), 
I-ke-mer  (fire),  and  Ar-mou's  brother,  Too-gpo-lan  (Pa-pa-tewa),  com- 
panions of  Captain  Hall  on  his  Second  Expedition.  All  the  people 
seemed  friendly,  and  on  consultation  over  the  charts,  it  was  decided  to 
go  on  to  the  mainland  near  Depot  Island,  and  spend  the  winter.  The 
journey  westward  would  be  begun  in  the  early  part  of  the  spring. 

But  with  deep  regret  it  was  at  once  learned  that  one  of  the  two 
Neit-chi-llis  of  whom  Barry  had  spoken  as  talking  while  looking  at  the 
ship's  log,  of  "  the  big  white  man  who  many  years  ago  had  kept  the 
same  kind  of  book,  and  hid  it  in  a  cairn,"  had  died,  and  nobody  knew 
what  had  become  of  the  other  man.  Schwatka,  nothing  daunted, 
pitched  his  tent  on  shore,  lat.  63°  51'  N.,  long.  90°  26'  15"  W.,  and 
determined,  in  place  of  returning  to  New  York,  as  he  would  have  been 
justified  in  doing,  to  make  during  the  following  summer  a  final  and 
conclusive  search.  The  Arctic  winter  up  to  April  1st  was  therefore 
spent  in  the  igloos.  It  inured  the  party  to  the  climate,  and  occasional 
sledge  journeys,  and  taught  them  how  to  clothe  themselves  and  otherwise 
provide  against  the  cold.  During  the  winter,  further  news  of  the  relics 
was  by  no  means  more  encouraging  than  that  already  received.  From 
Nu-tar-ge-ark  a  man  of  about  forty  or  fifty  years  of  age,  it  was  learned 
that  his  father  many  years  before  had  taken  out  from  a  cairn  on  Kin^ 
William  Land,  a  tin  box  containing  paper  with  writing  on  it  (the  same 
account  of  the  box  and  paper  with  that  given  by  Captain  Hall  in  1866), 
the  additional  statement  being  at  that  time  made  to  him,  that  the  paper 
had  been  "  thrown  away  as  of  no  use  to  Innuits."  The  native,  how- 
ever, spoke  further  to  Gilder  of  a  cairn  within  which  the  Innuits 


THE  whalers'  reports.  349 

believed  something  lay  still  buried  beneath  a  very  heavy  stone  which 
had  been  undisturbed.  A  spoon  brought  from  King  William  Land  by 
Nu-tar-ge-ark  had  been  given  to  Captain  Potter. 

Mr.  Gilder's  first  errand  then  was  to  find  the  captain,  and  in  this  he 
succeeded  on  a  visit  to  Marble  Island  in  January,  1879,  when  Potter, 
then  second  in  command  of  the  whaler  "  Abbie  Bradford,"  unhappily 
exploded  the  story  which  had  been  the  chief  means  of  bringing  Lieuten- 
ant Schwatka  from  the  States.  This  he  felt  constrained  to  do  by  show- 
ing that  the  assertion  made  by  Captain  Barry  that  he  had  understood 
Innnits  talking  to  each  other  about  "the  big  man  who  many  years  be- 
fore had  been  seen  with  a  big  book  like  the  ship's  log  "  was  supremely 
ridiculous  ;  for  probably  no  white  man  in  the  Arctic  could  have  under- 
stood the  conversational  language  of  those  natives,  so  different  from  the 
"  pigeon  English  "  they  use  in  communicating  with  the  whalers.  In 
this  crucible  of  fact,  saj^s  Mr.  Gilder,  the  famous  spoon  *  melted.  So 
far  as  Captain  Barry  and  his  clews  were  concerned  "  we  had  come  on  a 
fool's  errand." 

The  final  search,  however,  was  not  to  be  abandoned,  and  this  decis- 
ion was  afterward  fully  justified  by  the  labors  of  the  Expedition  and  its 
results.  The  commander  knew  what  was  before  him,  and  with  whom 
he  had  to  deal,  and  would  not  return  empty-handed.  To  verify  the 
statements  made  by  Nu-tar-ge-ark  and  other  natives  —  nearly  the  same 
with  those  made  to  Captain  Hall  in  1869  —  (see  Chap.  VII.  p.  266), 
"that  very  many  skeletons  still  lay  on  the  ground  in  King  William 
Land,  invisible  in  winter  by  being  covered  with  snow," — as  well  as 
to  determine  finally  in  regard  to  the  Records,  a  journey  would  now  be 
undertaken  to  the  distant  regions.  For  this,  the  first  thing  necessary 
was  to  get  full  dog-teams,  for  which  Gilder  set  out  on  a  visit  to  the 
Kinnepatoos,  seventy  miles  west  and  north  from  Marble  Island.  He 
was  the  first  white  man  to  visit  them,  the  first  ever  seen  by  a  number 
of  them ;  but  all  were  friendly,  even  at  his  first  entry  to  their  igloos. 

♦  The  famous  spoon  brought  by  Captain  Barry  to  New  York  had  been  sent  by  the 
writer  for  Morrison  &  Brown  of  New  York,  from  the  Naval  Observatorj'  through  the  State 
Department  to  Miss  Sophia  Cracroft,  London,  niece  of  Sir  John  F'rankHn.  The  cut  on 
the  next  page  is  a  fac-simile.  It  was  unquestionably  one  of  Franklin's,  and  acknowledged 
as  such  in  England. 


350 


AJVIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 


Remaining  with  them  a  week,  he  witnessed  the  performance  of  the 
Key-low-tik,  which  has  been  described  in  Hall's  narrative,  and  says  that 
he  frequently  "grew  weary  and  slept  through  it,"  but  that  it  would 
cause  a  sensation  in  New  York. 

On  his  return  from  the  village,  after  securing  a  few  dogs.  Gilder  dis- 
covered two  lakes,  which  he  named  respectively  Brevoort  and  Duryea, 


FRANKLIN'S  SPOON 


Fac-simile  of  a  spoon  brought  from  Repulse  Bay  to  Morrison  &  Brown  of  New  York,  and  sent  by 
U.  S.  Naval  Observatory  to  Miss  Cracroft,  niece  of  Sir  John  Franklin.    Mending  done  by  the  Eskimos. 

and  reconnoitred  the  southeast  shore  of  Depot  Island,  the  mouth  of 
Chesterfield  Bay  and  its  Islands,  and  Marble'  Island ;  he  also  discovered 
a  river  which  he  named  the  Connery,  and  which  by  its  course  appeared 
to  indicate  the  proper  route  to  King  William  Land. 

Within  the  same  period,  Lieutenant  Schwatka  made  a  preliminary 
sledge  journey  to  the  North,  discovered  a  river  which  he  named  Loril- 
lard,  and  a  chain  of  hills  which  he  named  the  Hazard  Range ;  to 
their  summit  he  gave  the  name  Wheeler.  By  astronomical  observa- 
tions and  surveys,  he  determined  that  the  west  coast  of  Hudson's  Bay 
in  that  section  had  been  laid  down  on  the  charts  about  2°  too  far  to 
the  West. 


GEOGRAPHICAL  DISCOVERIES.  351 

April  1,  1879,  he  began  his  sledge  journey  of  eleven  months  cover- 
ing a  distance  of  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  accom- 
panied by  thirteen  Innuit  men,  women,  and  children.  Their  sleds,  drawn 
by  forty-two  dogs,  bore  weights  of  about  five  thousand  pounds  —  loads 
which  would  be  each  day  lessened  by  the  rationing  of  the  walrus-meat 
to  men  and  dogs.  It  was  scarcely  more  than  a  month's  supply,  but  the 
party  were  reasonably  expecting  to  get  their  subsistence  from  the  game 
which  they  would  continually  find  to  increase  in  number  with  the  open- 
ing season.  Their  general  course  was  north-northwest ;  it  was  the  most 
direct  route,  but  led  them  across  land  up  to  that  date  unvisited  by  a 
white  man,  and  unknown  to  the  Innuits. 

For  the  first  few  days  the  journey  was  one  of  exceeding  fatigue,  the 
men  having  more  than  once  to  put  on  their  rue-raddies  (harness)  in 
order  to  help  the  dogs  over  some  ridge  or  through  a  snow-drift.  They 
crossed  the  Connery  and  the  Lorillard  rivers,  and  on  April  27,  by  the 
Charts  they  should  have  been  on  the  Wager  River,  but  saw  nothing  of 
it ;  a  fact  which  may  explain  Hall's  being  landed  at  the  mistaken  point, 
as  named  in  this  volume  (Chap.  VII.,  page  210).  The  charts  of  Hud- 
son Bay  have  misled  the  whalers.  By  the  21st  they  were  in  lat.  'ob" 
45'  across  the  Wager  River ;  and  by  May  9th  were  following  a  branch 
of  Back's  or  Fish  River,  which  they  named  after  President  Hayes.  On 
this  river.  May  15th,  they  fell  in  with  a  party  of  Ook-joo-liks  whose 
chief  gave  them  their  first  direct  news  of  the  missing  navigators. 
Their  coming  near  to  this  party  was  first  made  known  by  the  excite- 
ment among  the  dogs  which  started  off  on  a  brisk  run  with  loud  bark- 
ing ;  the  Innuits  at  once  said  that  this  showed  that  people  were  not 
far  ofif. 

Schwatka's  Innuits,  including  Joe,  were  much  frightened,  but  were 
reassured  by  his  calling  their  attention  to  the  difference  between  breech- 
loaders and  Innuit  bows  and  knives.  In  fact,  on  coming  nearer  to  the 
nine  men,  it  was  found  that  they  had  been  even  afraid  to  come  out  of 
their  igloos  until  they  heard  the  name  of  one  of  the  Innuits,  and 
although  they  all  carried  knives,  these  were  but  bits  of  hoop-iron  or 
copper.  They  were  also  miserably  poor  and  without  food.  Supplied 
by  Schwatka  with  reindeer-meat,  of  which  he  had  already  found  abuu- 


352  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

dance,  they  became  very  friendly,  assisted  in  building  igloos,  and  gave 
further  valued  information  of  Franklin's  party.  This  was  in  part  sub- 
stantially the  same  with  that  learned  by  Hall,  viz. :  that  a  ship  had  been 
found  in  the  ice  off  the  west  coast  of  Adelaide  Peninsula,  and  that 
knives,  spoons,  and  utensils  had  been  taken  out  by  cutting  a  hole  into 
the  ship  on  a  level  with  the  ice,  as  they  did  not  know  how  to  get  inside 
by  the  doors ;  they  saw  no  bread ;  they  saw  books  on  board  and  left 
them  there  ;  and  when  the  ice  broke  up  in  the  following  summer,  the 
ship  filled  through  the  hole  they  had  cut,  and  sank. 

Taking  some  of  these  men  into  his  company,  in  four  more  marches 
Schwatka  reached  Back's  River,  and  thence  searched  in  vain  on  Mon- 
treal Island  for  the  reported  cairn.  He  then  again  took  the  mainland^ 
and  after  crossing  Richardson  Point,  for  the  first  time,  fell  in  with 
the  Neit-chi-lis  proper.  The  indications  from  these  people  not  appear- 
ing those  of  sincere  friendship,  and  their  custom  being  known  of  killing 
the  first  stranger  that  comes  after  a  death  among  them,  an  impression 
was  made  upon  them  by  firing  a  gun  in  the  air,  after  which,  in  their 
turn,  they  became  friendly,  and  gave  much  further  news.  One  of  the 
old  natives  had  seen  books  and  papers  scattered  around  the  rocks,  with 
knives,  forks,  and  watches ;  another  as  late  as  the  previous  summer  had 
picked  up  relics  on  the  west  coast  of  Adelaide  peninsula,  and  pointed 
out  the  place  where  the  ship  had  been  sunk ;  others  had  seen  the  white 
men  putting  up  a  tent,  some  of  their  number  being  in  a  boat ;  some  of 
the  white  men  were  very  thin,  their  mouths  dry,  hard,  and  Mack ;  they 
had  no  fur  clothing  on ;  in  the  following  spring  a  tent  had  been  seen 
standing  on  the  shore  with  a  great  inany  dead  bodies  inside  and  out- 
side ;  no  flesh  on  them.  There  were  knives,  forks,  spoons,  watches, 
many  books;  but  the  books  were  not  taken  any  notice  of:  a  renewed 
statement  which  alone  exists  as  the  key  to  the  utter  inability  on  the 
part  of  all  explorers  to  find  the  Records.  They  were  doubtless  de- 
stroyed by  the  natives ;  perhaps  those  at  Beechey  Island  als8. 

June  4,  Schwatka  and  Gilder  visited  a  new  cairn  reported  to  have 
been  erected  by  white  men  near  Pfeffer  River.  It  was  found  to  be  the 
one  erected  by  Captain  Hall,  May  12,  1869,  over  the  bones  of  two  of 
Franklin's  men  which  he  had  there  discovered  (see  Chap.  VII.  p.  263), 


RELICS   SEEN   BY  NATIVES.  353 

and  it  confirmed  an  impression  on  Schwatka's  party  that  the  white  men 
spoken  of  in  the  tent  were  all  officers,  and  that  the  books  reported  to 
have  been  found  in  a  tin  case  were  the  more  important  Records  of  the 
Expedition  in  their  charge.  At  the  site  of  a  camp  —  probably  that  of 
Crozier — after  abandoning  his  ship  off  Cape  Jane  Franklin,  were  found 
cooking-stoves,  with  their  kettles,  besides  clothing,  blankets,  canvas, 
etc.,  and  an  open  grave  in  which  was  a  quantity  of  blue  cloth,  some 
canvas,  gilt  buttons,  and  the  object-glass  of  a  telescope.  On  one  of 
the  stones  at  the  foot  of  the  grave  was  a  solid  silver  medal  two  and  a 
half  inches  in  diameter  with  a  bas-relief  portrait  of  George  IV.  on 
the  obverse,  and  on  the  reverse  a  laurel  wreath  surrounded  by  the 
words,  — 


and  on  the  left  a  laurel  wreath  surrounded  by, 

* * 

SECOND  MATHEMATICAL  PRIZE,   ROYAL 

NAVAL  COLLEGE. 

»{• ^ 

and  inclosing, 

« '■ ^ 


AWARDED  TO  JOHN   IRVING,   AHD- 
SUMMER,   1881. 


*- 


This  at  once  identified  the  grave  as  that  of  Lieutenant  John  Irving,  third 
officer  of  the  "  Terror ;  "  under  the  head  was  a  figured-silk  pocket  hand- 
kerchief remarkably  preserved.  The  skull  and  a  few  other  bones  found 
were  carefully  gathered,  and  on  the  return  of  the  Expedition  sent  to 
the  grateful  relations  of  Lieutenant  Irving  in  Scotland,  where  they 
were  buried  with  due  honor  in  his  native  town.  These  were  the  only 
remains  which  could  be  sufficiently  identified  to  warrant  their  removal. 
But  by  this  kindly  Christian  act.  Lieutenant  Schwatka  added  another 


364  AMEEICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

^  national  testimony  as  well  as  one  of  humane  feeling  towards  the 
lamented  navigators ;  Captain  Hall  having  performed  a  like  duty  in 
1869,  by  sending,  through  Mr.  Brevoort,  of  Brooklyn,  and  Admiral 
Inglefield,  R.N.,  remains,  afterwards  by  a  plug  in  a  tooth  identified  in 
England  as  those  of  Lieutenant  Vescomte  of  the  "  Erebus." 

July  3,  Schwatka's  party  was  at  Cape  Felix,  the  most  northern  point 
of  King  William  Land.  To  reach  this  point  they  had  cached  all  their 
heavy  stuff  in  order  to  lighten  the  sled  as  much  as  possible,  but  had 
found  tljeir  journey  to  be  one  of  exceeding  fatigue,  the  walking  bring- 
ing to  them  new  tortures  daily.  They  were  either  wading  through 
treacherous  frozen  torrents  or  lakes,  or  painfully  plodding  in  soft  seal- 
skin boots  over  sharp  clay  stones,  some  of  which  slipped,  sliding  their 
unwary  feet  into  crevices  that  would  seemingly  wrench  them  from  the 
body.  Yet  they  moved  about  ten  miles  a  day,  and  made  as  thorough  a 
search  as  was  possible.  Their  meat  diet,  most  of  it  eaten  as  soon  as 
killed,  brought  on  frequent  diarrhoea,  their  food  being  ducks,  geese,  and 
an  occasional  reindeer.  Three  miles  south  of  the  cape  was  found  a  torn- 
down  cairn  containing  among  other  things,  pieces  of  an  ornamented 
china  teacup,  and  cans  of  preserved  potatoes ;  indications  that  the  spot 
had  been  a  permanent  camping-place  from  the  ships,  and  in  charge  of 
an  officer.  Two  miles  back  from  the  coast  was  another  well-built  cairn 
or  pillar,  seven  feet  high,  which  had  been  built  on  a  prominent  hill  over- 
looking both  coasts.  This  Lieutenant  Schwatka  took  carefully  down 
without  meeting  with  any  record  or  mark  whatever.  Regretting  that 
the  only  one  left  standing  on  King  William  Land,  built  by  the  hands 
of  white  men,  should  thus  be  found,  he  rebuilt  it,  depositing  in  it  a 
record  of  the  work  done  by  his  party  to  date.  Aftei:  a  thorough  exam- 
ination of  the  locality,  it  was  plain  that  Sir  John  Franklin  had  not  been 
buried  in  that  vicinity. 

July  7,  the  southward  march  was  taken  up  from  Cape  Felix,  and  a 
cairn  very  like  the  last  was  met  with,  in  the  first  course  of  stones  of 
which  was  a  piece  of  paper  with  a  carefully  drawn  hand  on  it,  the  index 
finger  pointing  in  a  southerly  direction ;  any  writing  upon  it,  if  ever 
made,  had  disappeared,  nor  could  any  other  relics  be  found.  It  was 
judged  that  these   last  two   cairns  had  been  built  by  the  Franklin 


JOURNEY  TO   CAPE  FELIX. 


355 


Expedition  for  some  scientific  purpose  only.  Its  scientific  records,  so 
long  desired,  especially  those  doubtless  made  here,  near  the  Magnetic 
Pole,  were  not  to  be  seen. 

After  erecting  a  monument,  July  13,  over  the  grave  of  Lieutenant 
Irving,  and  burying  a  copy  of  the  Record  left  here  by  McClintock, 
Schwatka's  party  continued  their  coast  journey,  finding  at  different 


Ini..    .u.^iw^ii 


'L     I  11  >»  -A^lVlJ. 


points,  tenting-places  both  of  white  men  and  natives,  and  another  cairn 
which  had  been  torn  down,  but  nothing  left  within.  At  some  distance 
from  an  empty  grave  was  a  skull  which  had  evidently  been  dragged 
there  by  wild  beasts.  Near  by  were  traces  of  native  tenting-places ; 
and  here  Gilder  in  his  narrative  remarks  that,  "  wherever  they  found 
graves  they  always  found  evidences  that  the  natives  had  encamped  in 
the  neighborhood  like  vultures."  This,  with  many  other  like  state- 
ments, was  confirmatory  of  the  records  made  by  Captain  Hall  in  1869. 

From  this  point  the  party  went  on  to  Erebus  Bay,  on  the  south  side 
of  which  was  found  the  wreck  of  a  ship's  boat,  pieces  of  cloth,  canvas. 


356  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

iron,  and  human  bones.  The  prow  and  stern  post  of  the  boat  were  in 
-good  condition,  and  its  clinkered  boards  measuring  twenty-eight  feet 
six  inches  to  where  they  were  broken  off,  showed  it  to  have  been  a  very 
large  boat.     Portions  of  four  skeletons  were  found  and  buried. 

Here,  by  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  and  the  melting  of  the  snow,  it 
became  evident  that  sledging  was  over  for  the  season ;  it  would  now  be 
necessary  to  carry  everything  on  the  back,  or  upon  the  dogs.  After  a 
very  tedious  journey.  Terror  Bay  was  reached  August  3,  and  Schwatka 
and  Gilder  were  there  left  alone  until  September  1,  their  natives  having 
returned  to  the  coast  to  bring  up  some  supplies  with  the  empty  sled. 
The  two  left  in  camp  obtained  a  plentiful  supply  of  reindeer.  They 
searched  the  coast  as  far  west  as  Cape  Crozier,  but  the  tent-place 
spoken  of  by  the  natives  could  not  be  found,  though  its  site  was 
reached ;  it  was  afterward  learned  that  it  was  so  close  to  the  water  that 
now  all  traces  of  it  had  disappeared. 

September  19,  a  permanent  camp  was  by  necessity  formed  for  early 
wintering,  and  was  made  near  Gladman  Point  on  a  narrow  point  of 
Simpson's  Strait.  Reindeer  were  seen  in  immense  herds.  Too-loo-ah 
in  one  day  killed  seven  in  ten  minutes,  kissing  his  rifle  for  its  dutiful 
obedience.  On  the  30th,  twenty-six  were  killed.  But  by  October 
14,  no  more  were  seen. 

The  worst  march  of  the  whole  journey  began  December  10 ;  it 
became  a  continued  struggle  for  life.  The  provision  of  fish  which  the 
party  took  from  Back  River,  salmon,  and  a  species  of  herring,  soon  ran 
out,  and  reindeer  were  so  scarce  that  hunters  were  often  absent  several 
days  before  getting  a  shot  at  one.  Farther  south  where  they  were  more 
plentiful,  but  the  travellers  had  to  defend  themselves  from  the  wolves, 
and  several  times  the  hunters  barely  escaped  being  devoured.  The 
reindeer  flesh  was  now  too  lean  to  afford  good  nourishment,  and  had  to 
be  eaten,  moreover,  not  only  raw,  but  when  frozen  so  stiff  that  it  had  to 
be  sawed  into  small  bits  and  thawed  in  the  mouth ;  and  of  lard  and 
tallow  they  had  only  enough  to  light  their  igloos.  More  than  half  the 
dogs  died  on  the  route. 

Snow-storms  often  kept  the  party  in  camp  several  days ;  one  of  them 
lasting  thirteen.     The  average  temperature  of  the  month  of  December 


COLD  WiiAXHIiK. 


868  AMEKICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

was  — 50°  F.,  and  the  minimum  reading  — 69°.  The  mean  for  January 
was  —  53° ;  the  minimum  observed  January  3,  —  71°.  The  mean  tem- 
perature in  February  was  —  45° ;  the  lowest  —  69°.  The  thermometer 
stood  60°  under  the  zero  point  for  twenty-seven  several  days,  and  for 
sixteen  days  it  was  below  —  68°.  The  natives  said  that  the  winter 
was  an  unusually  severe  one.  The  thermometer  had  registered  on  the 
10th, — 62°;  on  the  28th,  in  the  morning,  it  read, — 69°;  at  noon, 
—  64° ;  and  at  5  p.  m.,  —  68° ;  the  lowest,  101°  below  the  freezing  point. 
It  has  been  determined  to  abandon  the  river  and  strike  directly  for 
Depot  Island. 

But  for  the  excellent  character  of  the  American  fire-arms  used,  it 
seems  impossible  that  this  return  journey  could  have  been  made.  Every- 
thing, even  the  iron  and  wood,  was  seriously  affected  by  such  extreme 
cold,  and  when  the  guns  were  brought  into  the  warmer  temperature  of 
the  igloo  only  for  cleaning,  every  particle  of  the  gathered  moisture  must 
be  removed  before  they  again  met  the  cold.  It  was  also  a  very  diffi- 
cult thing  to  get  near  enough  to  such  wary  game  as  the  reindeer,  for 
the  sound  of  the  hunter's  footsteps,  though  his  shoe-soles  were  covered 
with  fur,  was  carried  by  the  wind  to  be  heard  more  than  a  mile  off. 
Yet,  by  the  superiority  of  the  guns,  whenever  the  party  came  upon  the 
reindeer,  especially  when  travelling  against  a  head-wind,  preventing 
the  approach  of  the  hunter  from  being  heard  by  the  deer,  the  breech- 
loaders and  magazine  guns  did  their  work  so  effectively  that  they  could 
lay  in  a  stock  of  meat  a  day  or  two  ahead  for  the  igloos. 

The  country  began  to  swarm  with  wolves  dail}'-  met  with;  they 
killed  some  of  the  dogs  and  attacked  the  natives.  February  23,  twenty 
attacked  Too-loo-ah,  who  beat  them  off  with  the  butt  of  his  gun  until 
he  had  killed  one  and  made  his  escape,  while  the  others  were  fighting 
over  and  devouring  the  carcass. 

March  4,  with  light  sleds  and  by  forced  marches  Schwatka  had  got 
back  to  Depot  Island,  but  to  his  amazement  he  here  learned  from 
Ar-mou  that  Captain  Barry  had  not  left  with  him  the  provisions  be- 
longing to  the  party,  and  which  he  had  pron^ised  to  leave  with  that 
faithful  native  ;  nor  was  there  more  than  one  ship  in  the  bay  and  that 
was  at  Marble  Island.     A  further  journey  was  therefore  necessary, 


RESULTS   OF   THE  EXPEDITION.  359 

which  was  ended  on  the  21st,  only  when  the  whaler  "George  Mary  "  was 
boarded  at  midnight,  Captain  Gilder  being  the  first  to  reach  the  ship. 

Thus  was  a  continuous  journey  safely  accomplished  through  Arctic 
snows,  gales,  and  darkness  during  winter  months,  a  journey  unequalled 
in  all  Arctic  history.  Gilder,  who  was  ever  with  Schwatka  at  the 
front,  though  in  his  recital  of  the  march  through  modesty  he  exclu- 
sively accredits  others,  sums  up  the  record  in  terms  which  are  worth  a 
close  citation:  — 

•  "  During  the  year  that  we  were  absent  from  the  verge  of  civilization, 
as  the  winter  harbor  of  the  whalers  may  be  considered,  we  had  travelled 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  nineteen  geographical,  or  three  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  fifty-one  statute  miles,  most  of  which  was  over 
unexplored  territory,  constituting  the  longest  sledge  journey  ever  made, 
both  as  to  time  and  distance,  and  the  only  extended  sledge  journey 
ever  accomplished  in  the  Arctic,  except  such  as  have  been  made 
through  countries  well  known  and  over  routes  almost  as  thoroughly 
established  as  post-roads.  Our  sledge  journey  stands  conspicuous  as 
the  only  one  ever  made  through  the  entire  course  of  an  Arctic  winter, 
and  one  regarded  by  the  natives  as  exceptionally  cold,  as  the  amount 
of  suffering  encountered  by  those  remaining  at  Depot  Island  attested, 
and  further  confirmed,  as  we  afterward  learned,  by  the  experience  of 
those  who  wintered  at  Wager  River,  where  many  deaths  occurred, 
attributable  to  the  unusual  severity  of  the  season.  The  party  success- 
fully withstood  the  lowest  temperature  ever  experienced  by  white  men 
in  the  field,  recording  one  observation  of  — 71  degrees  Fahrenheit, 
sixteen  days  whose  average  was  one  hundred  degrees  below  the  freez- 
ing point,  and  twenty-seven  which  registered  below  — 60  degrees,  dur- 
ing most  of  which  the  party  travelled.  In  fact,  the  expedition  never 
took  cold  into  consideration,  or  halted  a  single  day  on  that  account. 

"  During  the  entire  journey,  its  reliance  for  food  both  for  man  and 
beast  may  be  said  to  have  been  solely  upon  the  resources  of  the 
country,  as  the  expedition  started  with  less  than  one  month's  rations, 
and  it  is  the  first  in  which  the  white  men  of  an  expedition  voluntarily 
lived  exclusively  upon  the  same  fare  as  its  Eskimo  assistants,  thus 
showing  that  white  men  can  safely  adapt  themselves  to  the  climate  and 


360  AJNIERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   20NES. 

life  of  the  Eskimos,  and  prosecute  their  journeys  in  any  season  or 
under  such  circumstances  as  would  the  natives  of  the  country  them- 
selves." [The  Second  Expedition  of  Captain  Hall  accorded  with  this 
last-named  fact,  except  in  the  matter  of  his  partial  dependence  on  the 
whalers.  —  J.  E.  N.] 

"  The  Expedition  was  the  first  to  make  a  summer  search  over  the 
route  of  the  lost  crews  of  the  'Erebus'  and  'Terror,'  and  while  so 
doing  buried  the  remains  of  every  member  of  that  fated  party  above 
ground,  so  that  no  longer  the  bleached  bones  of  those  unfortunate 
explorers  whiten  the  coasts  of  King  William  Land  and  Adelaide  Pen- 
insula as  an  eternal  rebuke  to  civilization,  but  all  have,  for  the  time 
being  at  least,  received  decent  and  respectful  interment." 

"  The  most  important  direct  result  of  the  labors  of  the  Expedition 
will  undoubtedly  be  considered  the  establishing  the  loss  of  the  Franklin 
records  at  the  boat  place  in  Starvation  Cove ;  and  as  ever  since  Dr. 
Rae's  expedition  of  1854,  which  ascertained  the  fate  of  the^ party,  the 
recovery  of  the  Records  has  been  the  main  object  of  subsequent  ex- 
ploring in  this  direction,  the  history  of  the  Franklin  Expedition  may 
now  be  considered  as  closed.  As  ascertaining  the  fate  of  the  party 
was  not  so  gratifying  as  would  have  been  their  rescue  or  the  relief  of 
any  number  thereof,  so  is  it  in  establishing  the  fate  of  the  record  of 
their  labors.  Next  in  importance  to  their  recovery  must  be  considered 
the  knowledge  of  their  irrecoverable  loss.  •  .  .  The  excellent  manage- 
ment of  the  Commander,  Lieutenant  Schwatka,  secured  his  party  from 
many  of  the  usual  misfortunes  of  those  in  the  field  and  deprived  the 
Expedition  of  the  sensational  character  it  might  have  assumed  in  other 
hands.  Every  contingency  was  calculated  upon  and  provided  for  before- 
hand."— "  Schwatka's  Search,  Sledging  in  the  Arctic  in  quest  of  Frank- 
lin Records."     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1881. 


THE  RETURN  TO   THE   UNITED   STATES. 

It  was  gratifying  to  all  the  friends  of  the  daring  explorers,  to  greet 
them  safe,  and  in  fair  health  on  their  return  to  the  comforts  of  home, 
September  22,  1880.     It  is  still  more  pleasing  to  find  on  the  records  of 


AWARD   OF  MEDAL  TO   LIEUTENANT   SCHWATKA.  361 

American  Arctic  Explorations,  the  history  of  such  an  Expedition,  an 
addition  to  the  labors  of  previous  explorers  all  the  more  valuable  as 
demonstrating  what  can  be  effected  even  amidst  the  tempests  of  the 
heavens  and  the  ice-covered  and  desolate  lands  under  foot,  by  fore- 
sight, executive  ability,  and  undaunted  iron  will.  The  journey  of 
Lieutenant  Schwatka  and  his  companions  stands  the  counterpart  on 
land  with  the  drift  of  the  ice-floe  party  conducted  by  Tyson  from  the 
"Polaris,"  unexampled  in  history.  The  SociSte  cle  GSographie  of 
Paris  awarded  to  Lieutenant  Schwatka  one  of  their  gold  medals  given 
to  explorers.  The  Comptes  Rendus  of  the  Society  for  the  first  general 
session,  April  20,  1883,  furnish  the  opening  address  of  M.  de  Lesseps, 
who  referred  to  the  fact  that  it  was  the  fifty-fourth  year  in  which  the 
Society  had  awarded  its  highest  honors,  more  than  half  of  which  had 
been  decreed  to  Frenchmen,  among  whom  he  was  proud  of  having  place. 
On  the  presentation  of  the  Report  from  the  Prize  Commission  on 
the  journey  of  Lieutenant  Schwatka  to  King  William  Land,  the  Com- 
mission expressed  their  regret  through  Count  Louis  de  Turenne,  that 
Mr.  Morton,  U.  S.  Minister,  had  been  prevented  from  being  present  to 
receive  this  Medal,  but  were  pleased  that  one  of  the  Legation  repre- 
sented him.  M.  de  Turenne  further  said :  "  Our  Commission  has 
thoroughly  examined  the  merits  and  the  geographical  relations  of  Lieu- 
tenant Schwatka's  journey,  and  you  will  permit  me  to  draw  from  it 
its  moral  bearing.  England  and  the  United  States,  as  every  one  knows, 
have  had  some  earnest  disputes,  but  immediately  on  the  appearance  of 
the  probable  disaster  of  the  'Erebus'  and  the  'Terror,'  the  United 
States  exhibited  the  noblest  activity,  and  made  the  grandest  sacrifice 
of  men  and  money  to  succor  the  Expedition,  whose  chief  had  once 
fought  against  them.  The  journey  of  Mr.  Schwatka  has  been  the 
epilogue  of  the  series  of  general  eroisades  made  by  the  United  States  to 
recover  the  remains  of  the  great  Franklin.  The  Geographical  Society 
is  happy  to  have  it  in  its  power  to  crown  the  scientific  results  of  an 
enterprise  inspired  by  such  noble  sentiments." 

Addressing  the  representative  of  the  U.  ^.  Legation,  M.  de  Lesseps 
said:  "Be  pleased  to  forward  this  medal  to  your  courageous  countryman, 
with  the  expression  of  our  esteem  for  him  and  his  companions.     We 


362 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 


hope  also  that  the  Gordon  Bennetts,  the  Lorillards,  and  the  other 
Mecsenases  of  science  in  the  United  States  will  accept  the  acknowledg- 
ments addressed  to  them  by  our  prize  commission,  and  cordially  con- 
curred in  by  all  their  associates."  The  beautiful  gold  medal,  which  is 
the  counterpart  of  the  Roquette  Medal  awarded  to  Captain  Hall,  has 
been  received  by  the  State  Department  at  Washington,  and  forwarded 
by  the  War  Department  to  Lieutenant  Schwatka.  It  may  be  noted  in 
this  connection  that  the  SociStS  de  Cieographie^  the  oldest  of  geographi- 
cal societies,  has  thus  shown  its  appreciation  of  each  American  Arctic 
discoverer,  —  Kane,  Hayes,  Hall,  and  Schwatka. 

By  an  Act  of  Congress  approved  August  7,  1882,  Lieutenant 
Schwatka's  leave-of-absence  pay  was  raised  to  that  of  full  pay  during 
the  period  of  his  expedition,  March  5,  1878,  to  October  1,  1880,  and 
mileage  was  allowed  him  from  his  post  in  Dakota  Territory  to  New  York, 
where  he  took  command  of  the  Expedition,  and  for  his  return  at  its  close 
from  New  York  City  to  Vancouver  Barracks,  Washington  Territory. 
This  action  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  was  a  recognition  of  his 
meritorious  conduct  of  the  exploration.  As  it  was  a  private  enterprise, 
no  official  report  was  required,  or  has  been  made  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment. Lieutenant  Schwatka  is,  at  the  date  of  this  writing,  reporting 
to  the  Government  further  explorations  recently  made  by  him  on  the 
Yukon  River,  Alaska. 


NATIVE  NEEDLE-CASE. 
Presented  to  0.  F.  Hall  when  on  King  William  Land,  1869. 


LIEUTENANT  G.  W.  DkLONG,  U.S.N. 


Entered  the  Naval  Academy  as  midshipman,  Oct.  1,  1861 ;  gradnated,  Sept.  24,  1865 ;  pro- 
moted to  be  Ensign,  Dec.  1, 1866 ;  to  be  Master,  May  12. 1868  ;  to  be  Laeutenant,  May  26, 1869  :  to 
be  Lieutenant-Commander,  Not.  1,  1867  ;  commanded  the  steam-launch  "Juniata"  in  search 
of  Captain  Hall,  1873  ;  commanded  the  "  Jeannette,"  1879-1881. 


CHAPTER    X. 

LIEUTENANT  DeLONG'S  EXPEDITION  TOWARD  THE  POLE,   1879-1881. 

THE  EXPEDITION  DeLONG's  OWN  PROMPTING.  —  MR.  BENNETT  UNDER- 
TAKES IT.  —  SELECTION  OF  THE  ROUTE.  —  THEORIES.  —  DeLONG's 
PLAN.  —  THE  "  JEANNETTE  "  COMMISSIONED.  —  REPORT  OF  THE 
BOARD  OF  INSPECTION   AT  MARE  ISLAND.  —  OFFICERS  AND  CREW.  — 

SAILING    FROM    SAN    FRANCISCO.  —  ARRIVAL    AT    ST.    MICHAEL's.  — 

r 
REPORTS    OF  NORDENSKIOLD.  —  PASSING   THE   STRAITS.  —  ATTEMPTS 

TO  REACH  WRANGELL  AND  HERALD  ISLANDS. —  FROZEN  IN  THE  PACK 

SEPTEMBER  6.  —  CHIPP  ATTEMPTS  THE  CROSSING  TO  HERALD  ISLAND. 

—  THE.  "JEANNETTE"   DRIFTS   NORTHWEST  PAST  WRANGELL   LAND. 

—  PUMPING  BEGUN. LIEUTENANT  DANENHOWER  DISABLED.  —  THE 

RETURN  OF  THE  SUN.  —  EXPERIMENT  OF  THE  WINDMILL  PUMP.  — 
DeLONG  ABANDONS  THE  THEORY  OF  THE  CURRENTS.  —  SCIENTIFIC 
OBSERVATIONS  KEPT  UP.  —  THE  FROZEN  SUMMER.  —  AURORAL  PHE- 
NOMENA. —  CONTINUED  DRIFT  NORTHWEST.  —  DISCOVERY  OF  JEAN- 
NETTE  AND    HENRIETTA    ISLANDS.  —  THE    "JEANNETTE"    CRUSHED. 

—  LANDING  ON  THE  FLOE.  —  DISCOVERY  OF  BENNETT  ISLAND  ; 
DESCRIPTION  OF  IT  BY  DR.  AMBLER.  —  THE  THREE  BOATS.  —  THEIR 
SEPARATION.  —  THE  WHALEBOAT  PARTY  LAND  ON  THE  LENA  DELTA. 

—  THE  FIRST  CUTTER  UNDER  DeLONG.  —  SUFFERINGS.  —  DeLONG'S 
LAST  ENTRIES.  — DANENHOWER'S  SEARCH.  —  IMELVILLE'S  SEARCH.  — 
THE  DEAD  TEN  FOUND.  —  THEIR  BURIAL.  —  RETURN  OF  LIEUTEN- 
ANT   DANENHOWER.  —  SEARCH    BEGUN     BY    LIEUTENANT     HARBER. 

—  ENGINEER  MELVILLE'S  RETURN.  —  APPROPRIATION  TO  BRING  THE 
BODIES    HOME.  —  THEIR    EXPECTED  ARRIVAL. 

EXPEDITION  TO  THE  POLE  BY  THE  WAY  OF  BERING  STRAIT  BY 
LIEUTENANT  G.  W.  DeLONG,  U.  S.  N.,  1879-Sl. 

THE  chief  avowed  object  of  this  Expedition  was  to  reach  the  Pole. 
It  was  the  first  organized  attempt  to  solve  the  problem  by  this 
route,  the  design  of  M.  Lambert  to  fit  out  an  Exi)edition  through 
the  Strait  having  been  defeated  by  his  premature  fall  in  the  Franco- 
German  war. 

363 


364  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

From  the  authentic  data  furnished  in  the  "Voyage  of  the  'Jean- 
nette,'"*  recently  issued  under  the  editorship  of  Mrs.  DeLong,  it 
appears  that  this  Expedition  was  of  Lieutenant  DeLong's  own  prompt- 
ing. Shortly  after  his  return  from  the  "  Juiiiata's "  cruise  on  the 
Greenland  coast  in  search  of  Captain  Hall's  party  of  1873,  he  had 
solicited  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  of  New  York,  to  fit  out  another  Arctic 
Expedition,  but  was  referred  by  him  to  Mr.  J.  G.  Bennett  as  the  man 
to  undertake  it ;  Mr.  Grinnell  pleading  his  age  and  his  having  done  his 
full  share  in  Arctic  Exploration.  Mr.  Bennett  favorably  entertained 
the  idea  on  its  first  presentation,  but  the  matter  rested  until  November, 
1876,  when  the  determination  was  formed  to  secure  a  suitable  vessel 
and  start  for  the  North  Pole  the  following  summer. 

No  proper  American  ship  being  found,  DeLong  went  to  England  on 
a  two  months'  leave  of  absence  from  the  Navy  Department,  and,  after 
a  vigilant  but  unsuccessful  search  in  the  northern  ports  from  which 
whaling  vessels  were  sent  out,  decided  that  the  "  Pandora,"  which,  as 
has  been  already  stated  in  this  volume,  had  made  two  Arctic  voyages 
under  Captain  Allen  Young,  R.  N.,  was  the  most  available  ship.  After 
receiving  information  of  Mr.  Bennett's  purchase  of  this  vessel,  DeLong 
again  went  to  England  on  a  second  leave  of  absence  from  naval  duty  in 
the  United  States.  He  superintended  the  fitting  out  of  the  "Pandora" 
in  the  ship-yard  at  Deptford,  and  when  she  was  finally  ready  for  sea, 
shipped  her  crew  at  Cowes.  After  crossing  to  Havre,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  equipment  of  charts,  books,  and  instruments,  he  sailed  for 
San  Francisco  by  way  of  the  Horn,  July  15,  1878.  Lieutenant  J.  W. 
-Danenhower,  who  had  been  on  duty  in  the   Mediterranean   on   the 

*  "  The  voyage  of  the  *  Jeannette ' ;  the  ship  and  ice  journals  of  G.  W.  DeLong,  Lieu- 
tenant Commander  U.  S.N. ,  and  Commander  of  the  Polar  Expedition,  1879-81;  edited 
by  his  wife,  Emma  DeLong,  2  vols.,  8vo.:  Houghton,  Miflain  &  Co.,  Riverside  Press, 
Boston." 

In  preparing  the  following  Narrative  the  chief  reliance  has  been  upon  the  volumes 
just  named,  the  proof -sheets  being  courteously  loaned  in  advance;  the  reports  of  the 
Honorable  Secretaries  of  the  Navy,  Thompson  and  Chandler,  including  those  of  Engineer 
Melville  and  Lieutenant  Danenhower,  the  Report  of  the  Naval  Court  of  Inquiry-  i|r 
March  2,  1883,  including  the  testimony  of  Seamen  Noros,  Nindemann,  and  Bartlett,  and 
the  Narrative  of  the  Expedition  by  R.  L.  Newcomb,  its  naturalist,  have  also  been  con» 
salted. 


FALSE  THEORIES.  365 

U.  S.  S.  "  Vandalia,"  had  joined  him  as  Executive  Officer  for  the  cruise. 
The  voyage  to  San  Francisco  was  one  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five 
days,  during  which  the  ship  anchored  three  times  within  the  Straits 
of  Magellan,  but  no  one  set  foot  on  shore  until  December  27,  when 
she  anchored  at  the  Mare  Island  Navy  Yard. 


THE    ROUTE. 

In  regard  to  this,  DeLoiig  had  written  to  Mr.  Bennett,  January  25 : 
"There  are  three  ways  for  us  to  send  the  Expedition;  Smith's  Sound, 
Bering  Strait,  and  the  east  coast  of  Greenland.  Of  the  three,  I  am  in 
favor  of  Bering  Strait,  though  something  can  be  said  in  behalf  of  the 
east  coast  of  Greenland.  Professor  Nordenskiold  has  received  some 
information  from  our  Hydrographic  Office  in  relation  to  Bering  Strait, 
and  a  copy  of  this  information  will  be  furnished  us.  We  may  be  able 
to  accomplish  much  by  way  of  Bering  Strait  by  leaving  San  Francisco 
as  late  as  July  1,  but  I  would  like  to  be  ready  by  June  1  or  10.  My 
opinion  may  be  changed  by  what  you  have  heard  from  Dr.  Petermann, 
but  as  you  have  not  told  me  what  that  was,  I  cannot  say  now."  What 
Mr.  Bennett  had  heard  from  Dr.  Petermann,  as  afterwards  written  to 
DeLong,  was  in  substance  this :  "  The  eminent  geographer  felt  certain 
that  the  North  Pole  could  be  reached,  but  not  by  Smith's  Sound,  or 
Baffin's  Bay,  nor  by  sledging ;  but  by  a  dash  which  he  thought  could  be 
made  in  one  summer ;  wintering  in  the  Arctic  regions  he  considered  a 
mistake  if  it  could  in  any  way  be  avoided ;  the  Pole  should  be  reached 
in  three  summer  months  or  not  at  all." 

This  theoretical  advice  was  unsound.  The  Bering  Strait  rout« 
seems  to  have  been  determined  upon  chiefly  from  a  reliance  on  the  two 
theories,  that  the  Japan  current  opened  by  its  warm  waters  a  way 
through  the  strait  toward  the  Pole,  and  that  Wrangell  Land  would 
prove  to  be  a  vast  continental  tract.  Dr.  Petermann  had  often  urged 
the  idea  that  Wrangell  Land  would  be  found  to  stretch  itself  across  the 
P^,  reappearing  as  Greenland.  The  "  Jeannette  "  was  to  follow  the 
coast-line  of  this  land,  and  then  make  sledge  expeditions  along  the  ice 
foot.     DeLong  hoped  to  reach  it  the  first  season,  and  spend  the  wintei 


366  AMEBIC AK   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

there  in  exploration,  and  thence  go  to  the  extreme  limit  of  possible 
navigation.  "  If  the  current  takes  me  to  the  west,"  he  wrote  before 
starting,  "  you  will  hear  of  me  through  St.  Petersburg ;  but  if  it  takes 
me  eastward  and  northward,  there  is  no  saying  what  points  I  may 
reach  ;  but  I  hope  to  come  out  through  Smith's  or  Jones'  Sound."  He 
wrote,  "  It  is  our  intention  to  attack  the  Polar  regions  by  the  way  of 
Bering  Straits,  and  if  our  efforts  are  not  crowned  with  success,  we 
shall  have  made  an  attempt  in  a  new  direction  and  examined  a  hitherto 
unknown  country."  In  conversation  with  Lieutenant  Danenhower,  he 
said  he  had  also  something  more  definite  and  tangible  in  view  than 
reaching  the  North  Pole,  and  that  was  to  explore  Wrangell  Land  and 
the  Siberian  Ocean;  there  were  rumors  and  traditions  of  Wrangell 
Land  being  inhabited  or  visited  by  natives.  The  prospects  for  reach- 
ing a  high  latitude  depended  on  the  continuity  of  the  coast-line  to  the 
northward,  for  having  land  as  a  basis  of  advance  was  considered  one  of 
the  first  principles  of  Polar  explorations. 

July  17,  1879,  he  w«rote  :  — 

At  Sea,  lat.  41°  58'  K,  long.  136°  0'  1". 

"  If  the  season  is  favorable  to  an  advance  northward  I  shall  make 
for  Kellett  (or  Wrangell)  Land,  and  follow  along  its  east  coast  as  far 
as  we  can  go. 

"  If  everything  is  all  right  with  Nordenskiold,  and  I  hear  of  it,  there 
will  be  no  necessity  for  our  going  to  St.  Lawrence  Bay  at  all.  In  this 
case  I  shall  push  through  Bering  Strait  at  once  and  make  for  the  east 
side  of  Kellett  Land,  following  it  as  far  as  possible,  and  getting  to  as 
high  a  latitude  with  the  ship  as  we  can  before  getting  into  winter 
quarters.  If  our  progress  is  uninterrupted  for  some  distance,  I  shall 
content  myself  with  one  landing,  at  first  on  the  southeast  point  of 
Wrangell  or  Kellett  Land,  where  we  will  build  a  cairn  and  leave  a 
record  of  our  progress  to  date.  If  our  progress  is  interrupted,  we 
shall  no  doubt  make  frequent  landings  on  Kellett  Land,  and  build 
several  cairns;  but,  generally  speaking,  I  shall  endeavor  to  build 
cairns  and  leave  records  every  twenty-five  nautical  miles  of  our 
track." 


THE  JAPAN  CUBRENT.  367 

From  Ounalaska  he  wrote,  "We  go  to  as  high  a  latitude  as  God  will 
let  us  reach  in  two  years,  keeping  in  reserve  the  third  year  to  get  back  ; 
pray  for  my  success,  for  my  heart  is  set  on  this  thing." 

And,  here  although  seemingly  in  hasteful  anticipation  of  the  history 
which  this  narrative  is  to  present,  the  writer  finds  himself  compelled 
to  note,  that,  outside  of  the  reports  of  some  whaling  captains  and  of 
pure  theory,  there  appeared  little  ground  for  the  belief  in  the  extension 
of  Wrangell  Land  beyond  the  limits  assigned  on  the  U.  S.  Hydro- 
graphical  Chart;  and  that  the  supposed  favorable  influence  of  the 
Japan  current  on  the  waters  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  advocated  by  Mr.  Bent 
and  others,  was  an  idea  equally  delusive  with  that  of  an  existing  con- 
tinental tract  toward  the  Pole. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Dall,  Assistant  U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey,  in  his 
then  unpublished  report  to  the  office  for  the  year  1880,  had  thus  summed 
up  an  investigation  of  the  currents  of  Bering  Sea ;  — 

"  The  Kuro  Siwo,  compared  with  the  Gulf  Stream,  is  cooler,  has  a 
much  smaller  volume,  and  is  subject  to  serious  fluctuations  which  ap- 
pear to  be  due  to  the  monsoons. 

"  The  Kuro  Siwo  sends  no  recognizable  branch  northward,  between 
the  Aleutians  and  Kamchatka,  nor  from  any  other  direction  in  Bering 
Sea.  The  chief  current  of  that  sea  is  a  motion  of  cold  water  southward. 
This  has  a  superficial  stratum  above  it,  which  has,  in  summer  when  not 
interrupted  by  winds,  a  northerly  motion  of  translation,  but  is  not 
sufficient,  either  in  mass,  motion,  or  consistency  of  direction,  to  be 
entitled  to  take  rank  as  an  ocean  current.  The  surface  currents  are 
formed  by  or  chiefly  dependent  on  tides,  winds,  river  flows,  the 
southerly  motion  of  cold  water,  the  distribution  of  floating  ice,  and 
the  northerly  motion  of  slightly  warmer  surface  water;  which  are 
effective  in  about  the  order  named. 

"No  warm  current  from  Bering  Sea  enters  Bering  Strait,  with 
the  exception  of  water  from  the  neighboring  rivers  or  the  adjacent 
sounds.  This  water  owes  its  heat  directly  to  the  local  action  of  the 
sun's  rays.  The  strait  is  incapable  of  carrpng  a  current  of  warm  water 
of  sufficient  magnitude  to  have  any  marked  effect  on  the  condition  of 
the  Polar  Basin  just  north  of  it. 


368  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

"  The  currents  through  the  strait  are  cool  and  chiefly  tidal,  but  with 
a  preponderating  tendency  northward,  as  before  fully  set  forth. 

"  The  currents  in  the  Arctic,  north  of  the  straits,  are  largely  depend- 
ent on  the  winds^  but  have  tendencies  in  certain  recognized  directions. 
Nothing  in  our  knowledge  of  them  offers  any  hope  of  an  easier  passage 
toward  the  Pole,  or,  in  general,  northward  through  their  agency.  Noth- 
ing yet  revealed  in  the  investigation  of  the  subject  in  the  least  tends  to 
support  the  widely  spread  but  unphilosophical  notion,  that  in  any  part 
of  the  Polar  Sea,  we  may  look  for  large  areas  free  from  ice." 

In  a  very  interesting  lecture  recently  delivered  before  the  American 
Geographical  Society  of  New  York,  Dr.  Thomas  Antisell,  of  the  U.  S. 
Patent  Ofiice,  Washington,  says :  — 

"In  May  and  June  a  broad  warm  current  is  found  flowing  around 
the  shores  of  the  Liu-Kiu  Islands  and  the  Bonin  Islands,  which  it  has 
already  reached  in  April,  producing  variable  winds  before  the  monsoon 
is  established  in  full  influence.  This  current  is  felt  off  the  shores  of 
Japan,  and  has  already  received  its  Japanese  title  —  the  Black  Sea  or 
current  (Kuro  Siwo) — from  the  remarkable  dark  color  which  its  waters 
exhibit  when  looking  over  the  ship's  side,  —  it  is  a  deep  blue-black,  and 
it  can  be  thus  recognized  with  ease  as  soon  as  it  is  attempted  to  be 
crossed.  Cradled  in  the  China  sea,  the  offspring  of  the  equatorial 
drift  and  its  warm  currents  among  the  Philippine  Islands,  when  it 
passes  Formosa  in  early  summer,  it  is  already  a  powerful  current,  and 
begins  to  sdnd  off  lesser  currents  while  proceeding  on  its  northern 
route.  .  .  .  But  the  waning  power  of  the  Kuro  Siwo  is  indicated  by  the 
temperatures  of  the  months  of  October,  November,  and  December,  in 
which  it  disappears  between  lat.  30°  and  40°.  The  whole  ocean  is 
cooling  down,  and  the  influence  of  the  Asiatic  shores  as  refrigerators  is 
apparent ;  the  N.  E.  monsoon  has  set  in  and  continues  during  the  first 
three  months  of  the  new  year  to  bring  down  the  condition  of  the  sur- 
face of  the  Pacific  to  that  condition  of  equilibrium  in  which  no  warmth 
is  communicated  from  the  air  to  the  ocean.  The  S.  W.  monsoon  has 
ceased  to  blow,  and  the  Kuro  Siwo  as  a  current  disappears,  although  its 
warming  and  equalizing  diffusion  continues  in  a  mild  way.  .  .  .  The 
North   Pacific  Ocean    has,  practipally  speaking,  no  northern   outlet; 


THE   "JEANNETTE"   ACCEPTED   FROM   MR.   BENNETT.  369 

Bering  Straits  is  but  a  cul  de  sac,  and  is  no  real  gate  of  entrance  into  the 
Arctic  Ocean." — Bulletin,  American  Geographical  Society,  No.  II.,  1883. 

The  objects  before  Captain  DeLong  having  been  thus  stated,  and 
the  unfortunate  expectation  of  success  entertained  by  him  in  reliance 
upon  the  authorities  first  named,  the  thread  of  the  narrative  is  re- 
sumed at  San  Francisco.  The  "  Jeannette  "  was  yet  the  private  prop- 
erty of  Mr.  Bennett,  but  his  own  judgment  fully  accorded  with  the 
advice  given  in  the  outset  by  Lieutenant  DeLong,  that  the  ship  should 
be  placed  in  every  respect  under  Naval  Command,  and  a  bill  was  there- 
fore promptly  introduced  into  Congress  that  the  Government  should 
accept  the  "  Jeannette  "  for  the  purposes  of  a  voyage  of  exploration. 
The  Act  authorizing  this  provided  that  Mr.  Bennett  might  use  in  fitting 
her  for  her  voyage  anj'-  materials  he  might  have  on  hand  for  it ;  might 
enlist  the  necessary  crew  for  special  service,  their  pay  to  be  temporarily 
met  from  the  pay  of  the  Navy,  and  to  be  paid  or  refunded  by  him  under 
the  future  orders  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  as  he  might  issue  these. 
The  ship  was  to  proceed  on  her  voyage  under  the  instructions  of  the 
Navy  Department,  and  the  men  were  to  be  subject  in  all  respects  to 
the  Articles  of  War  and  Navy  regulations  and  discipline.  This  Act, 
approved  February  27,  1879,  was  supplemental  to  the  one  approved 
March  18,  1878,  which  had  authorized  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 
"  to  issue  an  American  Register  to  the  vessel,  and  the  President  of  the 
United  States  to  detail  with  their  own  consent  commissioned,  warrant, 
and  petty  officers  not  to  exceed  ten  in  number,  to  act  as  officers  to 
said  vessel  during  her  first  voyage  to  the  Arctic  Seas." 

Under  the  authority  of  these  Acts,  Secretary  Thompson  on  the  18th 
of  June,  1879,  gave  to  DeLong  his  instructions,  which,  however,  left  the 
details  to  the  experience,  discretion,  and  judgment  of  the  Commander. 
They  embraced  the  provision,  that,  on  reaching  Bering  Strait,  he 
should  "make  diligent  inquiry  at  such  points  where  he  deemed  it  likely 
that  information  could  be  obtained  concerning  the  fate  of  Professor 
Nordenskiold ;  if  he  had  good  and  sufficient  reasons  fur  believing  Nor- 
denskiold  was  safe,  he  would  proceed  on  his  voyage ;  if  otherwise,  he 
would  pursue  such  a  course  as  would  be  judged  necessary  for  his  aid 
and  relief." 


370  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Ten  days  later,  the  ship  was  put  in  commission,  when  the  silk  flag 
was  used  which  had  been  made  by  Mrs.  DeLong  to  be  unfurled  when 
taking  possession  of  any  new-found  land  and  when  the  highest  latitude 
was  reached.  The  following  account  of  the  vessel  which  has  made  an 
historic  record  of  such  interest  is  in  place  :  "  The  '  Pandora '  was  built 
at  Devonport,  England,  and  was  first  commissioned  by  Commander  W.  F. 
Ruxton,  R.  N.,  who  sailed  in  her  for  the  coast  of  Africa,  on  which  coast 
she  was  on  duty  for  the  term  of  four  years,  —  her  only  commission  in 
the  British  Navy.  Captain  Sir  Allen  W.  Young,  R.  N.  Reserve,  pur- 
chased her  from  the  Admiralty  for  his  first  Arctic  cruise  in  1875,  and 
had  her  rigged  at  Southampton  as  a  barquentine,  and  fortified  and  pre- 
pared with  all  the  modern  equipments  of  an  Arctic  exploring  ship.  He 
made  his  second  Arctic  voyage  in  her  as  far  as  Peel  Straits  in  1876, 
returning  to  Portsmouth,  England,  in  November  of  that  year.  Both 
voyages  were  severe  tests  of  the  strength  of  the  ship ;  on  the  second  in 
lat.  75°  10'  N.,  long.  62°  7'  W.,  he  drifted  five  days  helplessly  with  the 
pack  which  drove  him  up  into  Melville  Bay,  and  from  which  he  escaped 
by  the  change  of  the  wind  breaking  up  the  ice,  and  by  putting  on  the 
ship  his  whole  steam-power.  As  described  by  DeLong  in  his  letter  to 
Lieutenant  Danenhower,  dated  London,  June  2,  1878,  "  the  '  Pandora ' 
was  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  tons  (builders'  tonnage),  one  hundred 
and  forty-two  feet  long,  twenty-five  feet  beam  ;  and  drew  when  loaded 
with  her  Arctic  outfit,  about  thirteen  feet;  barque-rigged,  rolling  topsails 
and  trices  up  her  screw ;  steams  or  sails  about  six  knots,  and  is  a  neat, 
tidy  little  ship.  She  had  been  thoroughly  repaired  and  was  put  in  shape, 
her  engine  force  increased  to  two  "hundred  horse-power,  and  she  had  a 
wide  spread  of  canvass."  In  reply  to  inquiries  recently  made  by  the 
Naval  Court  of  Inquiry,  Sir  Allen  Young  (November  22, 1882)  deposed 
before  W.  J.  Hoppin,  Secretary  of  the  U.  S.  Legation,  London,  that  he 
had  considered  the  "Pandora"  fit  for  Arctic  service,  both  as  regards 
strength  and  model,  basing  this  opinion  on  his  actual  experience  in  her, 
and  on  his  service  in  the  "  Fox."  He  believed  her  to  be  far  superior 
to  the  "Fox."  It  is  known  that  the  ship  was  parted  with  by  the 
owner  most  reluctantly. 

At  the  Navy  Yard,  Mare  Island,  California,  during  the  month  of 


THE  FITTING-OUT   AT   SAN   FRANCISCO.  871 

January,  1879,  a  Board  of  Naval  Officers  examined  the  "  Jeannette," 
and  reported  in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  Commandant  of  the 
Yard,  Commodore  E.  R.  Colhoun,  what  repairs  were  needed,  with  an 
estimate  of  their  probable  cost.  The  suggestions  of  the  Board  which 
was  composed  of  Chief  Engineers  M.  Fletcher  and  G.  F.  Kutz,  Com- 
mander L.  Kempff,  and  Naval  Constructor  George  W.  Much,  were 
made  in  conference  with  the  Commander,  who  forwarded  a  full  report 
to  Mr.  Bennett,  adding  the  result  of  his  own  careful  and  minute  ex- 
amination. As  the  final  decision  of  her  outfit  rested  with  the  Secretary 
of  the "  Navy,  Captain  DeLong  was  ordered  to  Washington,  where  he 
arrived  February  15,  and  was  most  cordially  received  by  Secretary 
Thompson,  who  expressed  himself  as  personally  and  officially  interested 
in  this  Expedition.  March  11,  Commodores  Easby,  English,  and  Shock, 
Chiefs  of  the  Bureaus  bf  Construction,  of  Equipment,  and  of  Steam- 
engineeering,  forwarded  under  the  sanction  of  Secretary  Thompson 
instructions  to  the  Commandant  of  the  Yard  at  Mare  Island  to  repair 
and  strengthen  the  "  Jeannette,"  and  furnish  to  her  the  supplies  still 
needed  for  her  Arctic  cruise.  The  work  to  be  done  on  the  yacht  was  to 
be  in  accordance  with  an  enclosed  memorandum ;  the  estimated  cost  of 
repairs  and  alterations  submitted  by  the  Board  which  has  been  named 
exceeded  $42,500;  the  outlay  finally  rose  nearly  to  $100,000. 

June  26,  a  second  Naval  Board  composed  of  Captain  P.  C.  Johnson, 
Commander  C.  J.  McDougal,  Naval  Constructor  G.  W.  Much,  and 
Chief  Engineers  G.  F.  Kutz  and  Edward  Farmer,  reported  to  Com- 
modore Colhoun,  in  reply  to  his  order  of  the  6th  to  state  whether  the 
repairs  and  alterations  recommended  by  the  Board  of  Survey  had  been 
made,  whether  any  other  work  not  embraced  in  it  but  considered  neces- 
sary had  been  done,  and  whether,  in  their  opinion,  the  ship  had  been  so 
far  as  practicable  repaired  and  placed  in  condition  for  service  in  tlie 
Arctic  Ocean.  The  Report  was  an  affirmative  reply  to  the  points 
named  by  the  Commodore  as  regards  the  repairs  and  necessary  altera- 
tions. It  embraced,  however,  the  statement  that,  "  while  she  had  been 
repaired  and  placed  in  condition  for  Arctic  service,  so  far  as  practicable, 
it  was  not  possible  in  the  opinion  of  the  Board  to  make  her  particularly 
adapted  for  an  extended  Arctic  cruise."      The  order  convening  the 


372  AMERICAN   EXPLOKATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Board,  the  Report  said,  "did  not  require  any  expression  of  opinion 
further  than  what  was  thus  expressed  in  its  Report."  "As  it  was 
a  private  enterprise,  and  the  ship  had  been  purchased  and  was  satis- 
factory to  those  most  interested  in  the  enterprise,  it  was  rather  a 
delicate  thing  to  express  an  unfavorable  opinion  of  it  in  our  official 
capacity."  * 

The  preparation  of  the  "Jeannette,"  carried  forward  during  De- 
Long's  absence  in  Washington  under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenant 
C.  W.  Chipp  and  Master  Danenhower  was  completed  after  the  return 
of  the  Lieutenant  by  his  own  immediate  care.  Writing  to  Mr.  Bennett, 
after  leaving  San  Francisco,  he  said :  "  Finall}'",  all  work  came  to  an 
end,  and  the  ship  was  turned  over  to  me.  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with 
her.  She  is  everything  I  want  for  the  expedition,  but  a  little  small 
for  all  I  want  to  carry  in  her.  We  must  remember,  however,  we  are 
making  her  do  the  work  of  an  expedition  that  has  heretofore  generally 
required  two  ships.  We  have  every  appliance  for  all  kinds  of  scientific 
experiments.  Our  outfit  is  simply  perfect,  whether  for  ice  or  naviga- 
tion, astronomical  work,  magnetic  work,  gravity  experiments,  or  col- 
lections of  Natural  History.  We  have  a  good  crew,  good  food,  and  a 
good  ship ;  and  I  think  we  have  the  right  kind  of  stuff  to  dare  all  that 
man  can  do."  f 

*  By  the  Act  of  Congress,  liowever,  and  the  Secretary's  instructions,  it  would  seem 
she  was  under  full  Naval  law. 

t  Before  the  court  of  inquiry  convened  at  the  Navy  Department,  October  5,  1882,  the 
deposition  of  Naval  Constructor  Much,  made  at  San  Francisco,  showed  that  in  the  opinion 
of  the  Board  the  model  or  form  of  the  "  Jeannette"  was  not  adapted  for  ice  navigation, 
Constructor  Much  agreeing  with  Lieutenant  Danenhower's  testimony  that  in  his  opinion 
she  was  seaworthy  but  not  fit  for  extended  exploration,  being  an  old  vessel  of  poor  model, 
constructed  of  materials,  of  sizes,  and  a  general  arrangement,  more  suitable  for  a  yacht  than 
for  an  ordinary  built  merchant-vessel  of  the  same  displacement.  The  repairs  made  in  Eng- 
land were  for  the  most  part  superficial,  of  poor  workmanship  and  inferior  material,  so 
much  so  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  remove  and  replace  with  better  material.  The 
Commandant  and  all  other  officers  of  the  yard  did  all  that  could  be  done  under  the  circum- 
stances to  render  the  "Jeannette"  efficient  for  the  contemplated  expedition,  and  whatever 
opinions  may  have  existed  in  reference  to  her  fitnpss,  she  proved  herself  able  for  over 
twelve  months  to  withstand  the  heavy  floes  and  crushing  ice  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  in 
all  probability  no  vessel,  however  strongly  built,  could  withstand  such  a  continued  strain. 

In  this  last  judgment,  the  finding  of  the  Naval  Court  of  Inquiry  named  above  accords. 
It  recites  that "  although  the  weight  of  the  evidence  shows  that  she  was  not  especially  adapt- 


OFFICERS   AND  CREW.  373 

DEF'ARTURE   OF   THE   "  JEANNETTE." 

July  8,  1870,  Captain  DeLong  reported  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
that  the  ship  being  in  all  respects  ready  for  sea,  would  sail  at  3  p.  m.  of 
that  day,  and  would  proceed  with  all  despatch  to  the  Island  of  Ouna- 
laska,  and  thence  to  St.  Paul's  and  to  St.  Michael's,  Alaska,  at  which  last 
point  it  was  hoped  that  some  tidings  would  be  had  of  Professor  Nor- 
denskiold  and  his  party.  Failing  in  this,  St.  Lawrence  Bay  in  Siberia 
would  be  visited  in  further  quest ;  should  nothing  there  be  learned, 
the  course  would  be  through  Bering  Straits,  and  thence  skirt  the  coast 
of  Siberia  as  far  westward  as  navigation  would  permit. 

The  complement  of  officers  and  crew  embraced  the  following  names : 
George  W.  DeLong,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Navy,  commanding ;  Charles  W. 
Chipp,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Navy,  executive  officer ;  John  W.  Danenhower, 
master,  U.  S.  Navy;  George  W.  Melville,  passed  assistant  engineer, 
U.  S.  Navy ;  Dr.  James  M.  Ambler,  passed  assistant  surgeon  U.  S.  Navy ; 
William  M.  Dunbar,  seaman,  for  special  service  as  ice  pilot ;  Jerome  J. 
Collins,  entered  on  the  books  as  seaman,  but  for  special  service  as  me- 
teorologist ;  Raymond  L.  Newcomb,  also  entered  on  the  books  as  seaman, 
for  special  service  as  naturalist  and  taxidermist ;  Walter  Lee,  machinist ; 
James  H.  Bartlett,  first-class  fireman;  George  W.  Boyd,  second-class 
fireman ;  John  Cole,  boatswain ;  Alfred  Sweetman,  carpenter ;  with 
Seamen  W.  F.  C.  Nindemann ;  Louis  P.  Noros ;  H.  W.  Leach ;  Henry 
Wilson ;  C.  A.  Gortz ;  P.  E.  Johnson  ;  Edward  Star ;  Henry  D.Warren ; 
H.  H.  Kaack ;  A.  G.  Kuehne ;  F.  E.  Manson ;  H.  H.  Ericksen  ;  Adolph 

€d  in  strength  or  model  for  navigation  in  the  Arctic  region,  the  fact  that  an  experienced 
Arctic  explorer  had  voluntarily  made  two  cruises  in  her  to  the  Arctic  Seas  sustains  the 
judgment  and  care  shown  in  her  selection  when  last  purchased.  The  condition  of  the 
*  Jeannette '  on  her  departure  from  the  port  of  San  Francisco  was  good  and  satisfactory 
to  her  officers  and  crew,  except  that  she  was  unavoidably  deeply  loaded,  a  defect  which 
corrected  itself  by  the  consumption  of  coal,  provisions,  and  stores."  It  is  unhappily  well 
known  that  the  provisions  were  reduced  in  stock  not  only  by  consumption  but,  as  not  un- 
usual in  like  cases,  by  condemnation  of  some  of  them  on  their  first  arrival  from  New  York. 
In  regard  to  her  fitness  for *the  work  before  her  Lieutenant  Danenhower's  judgment  ex- 
pressed to  the  Board  was  decidedly  adverse.  The  preceding  statements  seem  necessary 
for  an  impartial  judgment  and  for  demonstrating  in  connection  with  the  history  which  fol- 
lows, that  no  vessel  can  be  built  wliich  can  outlive  a  conflict  witli  the  ice  of  the  North 
Polar  Sea. 


374  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Dressier ;  Charles  Tong  Sing ;  Ah  Sing ;  Ah  Sam ;  and  coal  heavers, 
Walter  Sharvell,  Nelse  Iverson,  and  John  Lauterbach. 

The  full  list  then  numbered  thirty-two  persons.  Of  the  officers. 
Lieutenant  Chipp  will  be  remembered  as  having  been  DeLong's  asso- 
ciate on  the  cruise  for  Hall  in  the  little  "  Juniata,"  July,  1873  ;  he  had 
volunteered  in  close  friendship  with  DeLong  for  this  Expedition,  arriv- 
ing, after  his  detachment  from  the  "  Ashuelot "  in  China,  at  San  Fran- 


LIEUTENANT  CHARLES  W.  CHIPP,  U.  S.  N. 

Appointed  Acting  Midshipman,  July  23, 1863  ;  graduated  from  the  Naval  Academy,  June  2, 
1868  ;  promoted  to  be  Ensign,  April  9,  1869 ;  Master,  July  12,  1870  ;  Lieutenant,  Dec.  2,  1872. 

cisco  in  the  spring  of  1879.  Master  Danenhower,  as  has  been  said,  had 
come  round  the  Horn  in  this  ship  ;  passed  assistant  engineer  Melville 
had  been  DeLong's  comrade  on  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Lancaster  "  in  the  South 
Atlantic,  and  was  the  engineer  of  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Tigress  "  sent  out  for 
the  relief  of  Captain  Hall ;  passed  assistant  surgeon,  J.  M.  Ambler,  of 
Virginia,  whose  medical  record  in  the  service  was  very  high,  filled  the 
important  post  of  surgeon.  The  ice-pilot,  Dunbar,  of  New  London, 
Conn.,  had  been  master  of  whale  ships  in  and  north  of  Bering  Strait. 
The  crew  had  been  selected  with  great  care,  partly  from  the  east  and 
partly  from  the  Pacific  coast.     William  Nindemann  had  distinguished 


FAVORABLE  REPORT   OF  THE  ICE.  375 

himself  on  the  voyage  of  the  "  Polaris  "  by  his  faithful  execution  of  the 
volunteered  but  dangerous  duty  of  planting  the  ice  anchors  on  Provi- 
dence berg,  saving  the  vessel  during  the  stormy  night  of  November  21, 
1871.     Officers  and  crew  were  volunteers. 

Steaming  out  of  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco,  the  "  Jeannette  "  was 
escorted  by  the  Governor  of  California,  by  a  number  of  yachts  of  the 
San  Francisco  Yacht  Club,  and  by  steam  launches  loaded  down  with 
citizens.  Every  ship  which  was  passed  dipped  her  colors,  and  opposite 
Fort  Point  its  garrison  saluted  the  "  Jeannette  "  with  twenty-one  guns. 
At  3.30  of  the  9th,  Point  Rayes  light  was  lost  sight  of.  At  eleven  it 
was  foggy,  misty,  and  rainy,  with  a  choppy  sea  that  broke  aboard  over 
either  rail.  The  ship  was  loaded  very  deep,  eleven  feet  nine  inches 
forward. 

August  3  she  had  reached  Ounalaska  Island,  having  groped  her  way 
into  the  harbor  through  thick  fogs  and  terrible  tides,  running  between 
one  hundred  or  more  islands,  very  incorrectly  laid  down  on  the  charts ; 
some  of  them  not  at  all.  DeLong  wrote  that  getting  observations  was 
out  of  the  question,  for  when  he  could  see  the  sea,  he  could  not  see  the 
horizon,  and  that  his  experience  in  getting  through  the  passes  into 
Bering  sea  was  far  beyond  all  previous  crooked  navigation  he  had 
witnessed.  To  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  he  wrote  that  from  all  the 
intelligence  received  from  the  northward,  the  previous  winter  had  been 
an  exceptionally  mild  one.  The  revenue  cutter  "  Rush  "  had  just  come 
south  from  her  cruise  to  the  northward,  twenty  miles  north  and  east  of 
'  east  Cape  Siberia,  without  having  encountered  any  ice.  This  seemed 
to  be  news  of  a  most  encouraging  nature. 

DeLong  deplored  the  necessity  of  having  loaded  his  ship  so  deeply  at 
San  Francisco,  since  this  had  made  the  progress  so  slow  under  head 
.winds  and  swell,  that  it  was  doubtful  whether  he  could  profit  by  this 
open  water  in  the  Arctic  sea  in  the  effort  to  gain  a  high  latitude  that 
season.  He  would  proceed  to  St.  Michael's,  and  if  nothing  there  could 
be  heard  of  Nordenskiold,  from  thence  to  St.  Lawrence  Bay. 

At  St.  Michael's  the  ship  filled  in  further  stores,  purchased  forty 
dogs,  and  engaged  two  Indians,  Aneguin  and  Alexai,  as  hunters  and  dog 
drivers.     No  news  had  been  received,  nor  had  the  schooner  '*  Fanny  A. 


376 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 


Hyde  "  arrived  from  San  Francisco  with  coal  and  extra  stores ;  by  this 
the  commander  was  seriously  embarrassed.  He  must  wait  for  coal, 
and  must  still  delay  by  crossing  to  St.  Lawrence  Bay ;  meanwliile  the 
fine  season  was  "  slipping  awa}',  when  he  might  reach  Kellett  Land  and 
push  on  to  the  northward."  The  schooner  "  F.  A.  Hyde "  came  in 
on  the  18th  and  followed  the  "  Jeannette "  to  the  Bay  which  was 
reached  on  the  2oth.     Engineer  Melville,  from  that  port,  wrote :  "  It 


LIEUTENANT  JOHN  W.  DANENHOWER,  U.  S.  X. 

Entered  the  service,  Sept.  25, 1866;  promoted  to  be  Ensign,  July  13, 1871;  to  be  Master,  Sept.  27, 
1873;  Lieutenant,  Aug.  2, 1879. 

was  very  fortunate  for  the  ship  that  she  had  the  schooner  to  carry  our 
extra  coal  and  stores  over  here,  for  on  the  way  we  were  caught  in  a 
terrible  gale  of  wind,  and,  owing  to  the  condition  of  the  ship,  and  deeply 
laden  as  we  were,  the  sea  had  a  clean  sweep  over  us.  It  stove  in  our 
forward  parts,  carried  away  the  bridge,  caved  the  bulkheads,  and  in  fact 
just  drowned  us  out.  Had  we  the  other  stuff  on  board,  we  must  have 
foundered,  or  else  got  it  overboard  in  time.  We  leave  here  for  East 
Cape  to-day,  having  taken  on  board  all  our  stores,  and  we  are  in  even 
much  worse  sea  condition  than  we  were  before ;  but  we  think  that 
maybe,  when  we  get  into  the  ice  where  the  wind  can't  raise  a  sea,  we 


NEWS   OP  NORDENSKJOLD.  377 

will  be  all  right."  The  commander  wrote  that  as  he  got  out  clear  of 
land  into  Bering  sea,  he  found  the  water  so  shallow  that  a  very  ugly 
sea  was  raised  in  a  short  time,  and  that  he  had  experienced  a  gale  of 
thirty  hours  during  which  he  had  to  lay  the  ship  to  and  ride  it  out. 

Before  leaving  the  Bay  a  native  chief  told  of'  his  having  been,  three 
months  before,  on  board  a  steamer  smaller  than  the  "  Jeannette,"  and 
found  on  her  two  officers  who  spoke  English,  and  a  third  who  spoke- the 
Tchuktchi  language  like  a  native.  The  name  of  this  officer,  as  far  as 
could  be  heard  from  this  native  chief,  was  Horpish,  the  true  name  being 
as  DeLong  justly  believed,  that  of  Lieutenant  Nordquist,  spoken  of  in 
Nordenskiold's  voyage  of  the  "  Vega,"  as  having  learned  to  speak  the 
Tchuktchi  tongue.  DeLong  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  Nor- 
denskiold's steamer  which  had  been  seen,  but  as  nothing  had  been  made 
sure,  and  his  last  authentic  advices  from  the  Secretary  had  been  that 
the  Professor,  when  last  heard  from,  was  at  Cape  Serdze  Kamen,  he 
thought  it  his  duty  to  go  there,  although  the  distance  was  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles ;  on  the  27th,  therefore,  he  towed  the  transport 
schooner  out  of  the  harbor,  and  stood  on  a  north  north-east  course 
toward  Bering  Strait. 

On  the  29th  he  attempted  to  land  at  the  Cape,  lat.  67°  12'  N.,  but 
found  so  much  ice  moving  about  as  to  make  this  impossible.  On  the 
30th,  Lieutenant  Chipp,  accompanied  by  Dunbar,  Collins,  and  the  native 
Alexai,  landed  and  learned  through  Alexai  from  an  old  squaw,  that 
the  steamer  had  wintered  on  the  east  of  Koliutchin  Bay ;  and  on  the 
31st  the  same  party,  together  with  Master  Danenhower,  at  last  made 
sure  by  a  landing  on  the  bay  that  the  "  Vega  "  had  certainly  Avintered 
there  and  gone  south.  Swedish,  Danish,  and  Russian  buttons  found  in 
the  hut  on  shore,  and  traded  for  by  Chipp  for  his  vest  buttons  as 
cash,  were  proofs  enough  of  the  "  Vega's  "  visit,  as  no  other  ship  had 
been  in  that  part  of  the  world  with  Swedish,  Danish,  and  Russian 
officers  on  board.  Papers  were  also  found  written  in  Swedish  and 
having  on  them  the  word  Stockholm. 

At  2  P.M.  DeLong  held  divine  service,  all  hearts  being  thankful  that 
at  last  they  knew  that  Nordenskiold  was  safe,  and  the  "Jeannette" 
might  proceed  on  her  journey  to  Wrangell  Land.     In  his  journal  he 


378  AMERICAli  EXPLORATIONS   IX  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

wrote,  "If  Nordenskiold  had  left  any  kind  of  a  written  paper  at  St. 
Lawrence  Bay  or  at  Cape  Serdze  Kamen,  he  could  have  saved  much 
uncertainty,"  but  he  apologizes  for  the  lack  of  any  record.  The  delay 
of  the  "  Jeannette  "  seemed,  however,  fatal  to  her  purpose  of  reaching 
Wrangell  Land  for  a  winter  security. 


IN  THE  PACK. 

On  the  sixth  following  day,  the  ship  was  beginning  to  be  closed  off 
by  the  remorseless  pack.  That  day  his  journal  entry  was:  "I  am 
hoping  and  praying  to  get  the  ship  into  Herald  Island  to  make  winter 
quarters.  As  far  as  the  eye  can  range  is  ice,  and  not  only  does  it  look 
as  if  it  never  had  broken  up,  but  it  also  looks  as  if  it  never  would. 
Yesterday,  I  hoped  that  to-day  would  make  an  opening  for  us  into  the 
land ;  to-day  I  hope  that  to-morrow  will  do  it.  I  suppose  a  gale  of 
wind  would  break  up  the  pack,  but  the  pack  might  break  us  up.  This 
morning  shows  some  pools  of  thin  ice  and  water,  but  as  they  are  discon- 
nected and  we  cannot  jump  the  ship  over  obstructions ;  they  are  of  no 
use  yet  to  us."  On  the  8th,  still  undaunted,  he  again  wrote,  "  I  con- 
sider it  an  exceptional  state  of  the  ice  that  we  are  having  just  now,  and 
count  upon  the  September  gales  to  break  up  the  pack,  and  perhaps 
open  leads  to  Herald  Island,  I  want  the  ship  to  be  in  condition  to  move 
without  delay.  Besides,  I  am  told  that  in  the  latter  part  of  September 
and  early  part  of  October  there  is  experienced  in  these  latitudes  quite 
an  Indian  summer,  and  I  shall  not  begin  to  expect  wintering  in  the 
pack  until  this  Indian  summer  is  given  a  chance  to  liberate  us."  The 
liberation,  as  is  too  well  known,  was  not  to  come.  Yet  DeLong  at  this 
very  point  did,  it  would  seem,  the  best  that  could  be  effected.  In  the 
judgment  of  the  Naval  Court  of  Inquiry,  "Either  he  had  to  return  to 
some  port  to  the  southward,  and  pass  the  winter  there  in  idleness,  thus 
sacrificing  all  chances  of  pushing  his  researches  to  the  northward  until 
the  following  summer,  or  else  he  must  endeavor  to  force  the  vessel 
through  to  Wrangell  Island,  then  erroneously  supposed  to  be  a  large 
continent,  to  winter  there,  and  prosecute  his  explorations  by  sledges. 
The  chances  of  accomplishing  this  latter  alternative  were  sufficiently 


THE  NTP.  379 

good  at  the  time  to  justify  him  in  choosing  it ;  and,  indeed  had  he  done 
otherwise,  he  might  fairly  have  been  thought  wanting  in  the  high 
qualities  necessary  for  an  explorer."  He  had  long  before  expressed  the 
opinion  that  putting  a  ship  into  the  pack  was  the  last  thing  to  do. 

On  the  day  from  which  the  journal  entry  above  has  been  cited,  at 
1  P.M.  the  fog  lifted  and  there  was  seen  a  chance  to  make  a  little  head- 
way toward  Herald  Island ;  the  "  Jeannette  "  worked  haid  to  force  her 


GEORGE  W.  MELVILLE,  CHIEF  ENGINEEB,  U.  S.  N. 

Appointed  Assistant  Engineer,  July  29, 1861 ;  Passed-Assistant  Engineer,  Dec.  16, 1862 ;  Chief 
Engineer,  Jan.  30,  1865. 

way  wherever  a  crack  or  narrow  opening  showed  itself  between  the  two 
floes,  even  where  the  ice  of  the  floes  was  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  thick. 
By  judicious  ramming  and  backing  and  ramming  again,  the  ship's  head, 
by  the  help  of  the  steam-winch,  was  shoved  into  weak  places  where  the 
helm  could  not  be  turned,  but  within  three  hours,  she  was  brought 
finally  up  again  to  solid  floes ;  thick  fog  settled  down  and  the  ice- 
anchors  were  planted.  This  day,  snow-goggles  were  served  out  to  all 
hands  with  orders  to  wear  them.  The  position  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  was 
established  by  observation  to  be  71°  3o'  N.,  175"  5'  48"  W.  She  already 
heeled  five  degrees  to  starboard. 


380  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

September  13,  at  8  a.m.  Lieutenant  Chipp  and  Engineer  Melville, 
Ice-Pilot  Dunbar,  and  the  native  Alexai  started  out  on  the  floe  with  a 
sled  and  eight  dogs,  to  attempt  a  landing  on  Herald  Island,  toward 
some  harbor  within  which  DeLong's  lingering  hopes  still  looked;  he 
also  thought  it  possible  that  drift-wood  nright  Jpe  found  on  the  island 
to  help  out  the  winter's  fuel.  But  the  party  returned  without  having 
met  with  any  success  for  either  of  these  objects;  no  place  could  be 
seen  offering  any  protection  for  a  ship,  nor  any  driftwood.  Alexai 
shot  a  seal  and  brought  it  back  in  the  boat,  and  on  the  second  day 
following,  DeLong  with  Melville,  Chipp,  and  Dunbar,  shot  two  bears, 
after  their  escape  of  some  miles  from  the  traps.  The  bill  of  fare  was  as 
yet  sufficiently  comfortable. 

But  at  the  close  of  the  month  the  "  Jeannette's  "  position  was  far 
from  being  such,  as  she  was  still  held  between  the  floes  as  in  a  vise, 
continuously  heeled  over  five  degrees,  and  drifting  with  the  pack.  In 
the  four  days  from  the  21st  to  the  24th  the  drift  was  twenty  miles  to 
the  north,  one  degree  west.  Herald  Island  had  entirely  disappeared; 
but  by  a  change  in  the  drift  to  the  southwest,  by  October  3  the  island 
reappeared  in  plain  sight,  bearing  south-southeast  true.  On  the  14th 
land  was  again  seen  in  the  same  quarter  and  now  very  distinctly ;  and 
on  the  21st  another  distinct  view  was  had,  the  land  appearing  as  one 
large  island  with  three  peaks.  Seen  again  on  the  28th,  the  "  Jean- 
nette  "  being  in  71°  57'  N.,  177°  51'  W.,  DeLong  believed  it  to  be  the 
north  side  of  Wrangell  Land,  but  he  no  longer  thought  it  a  continent, 
it  was  "either  one  large  island  or  an  archipelago." 

The  night  of  the  28th  was  beautiful,  "  the  heavens  were  cloudless, 
the  moon  very  nearly  full  and  shining  brightly,  and  every  star  twink- 
ling ;  the  air  perfectly  calm,  and  not  a  sound  to  break  the  spell.  The 
ship  and  her  surroundings  made  a  perfect  picture.  Standing  out  in 
bold  relief  against  the  blue  sky,  every  rope  and  spar  with  a  thick  coat 
of  snow  and  frost,  —  she  was  simply  a  beautiful  spectacle.  The  long 
lines  of  wire  reaching  to  the  tripod  and  observatory,  round  frosted 
lumps  here  and  there  where  a  dog  lay  asleep ;  sleds  standing  on  end 
against  the  steam-cutter  to  make  a  foreground  for  the  ship ;  surrounded 
with  a  bank  (rail  high)  of  snow  and  ice ;  and  in  every  direction  as  far 


THE   SHIP   ADRIFT.  381 

as  the  eye  could  reach,  a  confused,  irregular  ice-field,  —  would  have 
made  a  picture  seldom  seen." 

On  the  following  day  a  curious  but  not  unusual  point  in  Arctic 
history  occurred  among  the  dogs  of  which  the  Expedition  had  a  good 
supply.  One  of  a  team  which  was  out  to  hunt  some  walruses  killed 
the  day  previous,  deserted,  by  an  escape  from  his  harness.  The  other 
dogs  attempted  to  chase  him,  and  the  native  Alexai  quickly  said  : 
"  Bom  bye  other  dogs  him  plenty  whip."  Truly  enough,  for  after  the 
return  of  the  team,  Bingo  being  found  at  a  safe  distance,  had  been 
chewed  up  so  badly  by  the  others  that  he  died  in  a  few  minutes.  The 
Arctic  dog  will  not  bear  laziness  on  the  part  of  a  fellow-dog  in  har- 
ness. 

November  6^  the  first  startling  crack  occurred  in  the  floe,  compelling 
the  removal  from  it  of  the  meteorological  instruments  to  the  ship  ;  but 
she  did  not  move  an  inch,  and,  on  the  7th,  the  opening  again  closed. 
The  11th  was  a  day  of  great  anxiety ;  at  6  a.m.  the  ice  was  again  in 
motion,  and  the  ship  groaned  and  creaked  at  every  pressure,  threaten- 
ing at  each  to  break  adrift.  "  Masses  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet 
in  height  when  up-ended,  slid  along  at  various  angles  of  elevation  and 
jam,  and  between  and  among  them  were  large  masses  of  dShris  like  a 
marble-yard  adrift."  A  break  was  made  in  the  floe  across  the  ship's 
bow,  and  a  projecting  floe  berg  ploughed  its  way  like  a  wedge  to  break 
the  floe  ahead."  At  4  p.m.  the  movement  was  renewed.  Every  movable 
thing  was  again  brought  on  board,  the  dogs  being  confined  by  a  fence. 

Like  trying  experiences  were  repeated  again  and  again,  until  on  the 
the  24th  by  the  action  of  the  southwest  wind  the  "Jeannette"  was 
once  more  for  a  little  season  afloat.  Lieutenant  Danenhower  says, 
that,  on  the  24th  of  November  the  half  cradle  on  which  the  port  side 
had  rested  could  be  seen  about  a  thousand  yards  distant,  and  this 
immense  lead  was  open,  but  of  very  limited  length.  The  appearance  of 
the  ice  could  be  likened  to  an  immense  cake  as  it  comes  fntni  the  oven, 
broken  and  cracked  on  the  surface.  "A  few  mornings  later  the  drift 
ice  came  down  on  us  under  the  starboard  bow,  and  wedged  the  ship  off 
her  cradle,  and  she  went  adrift  in  the  gale.  This  was  about  8  a.m. 
She  drifted  all  day  until  7  p.m.,  when  she  brought  up  in  some  young 


382  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

ice,  and  was  frozen  in  solid  again.  It  was  dark,  in  the  long  night,  and 
there  was  no  chance  of  working  the  pack  had  it  been  good  judgment  to 
do  so.  We  reckoned  that  she  had  drifted  at  least  forty  miles  with  the 
ice  in  her  immediate  vicinity.  Previous  to  this  time  the  ship  had  stood 
the  pressure  in  the  most  remarkable  manner.  On  one  occasion,  I 
stood  on  the  deck-house  above  a  sharp  tongue  of  ice  that  pressed  the 
port  side  just  abaft  the  forechains,  and  in  the  wake  of  the  immense 


DR.  J.  M.  AMBLER,  U.  S.  N. 

Entered  the  service  as  Assistant  Surgeon,  April  1,  1874 ;  Passed-Assistant  Surgeon, 

June,  15,  1877. 

truss  that  had  been  strengthened  at  Mare  Island,  by  the  urgent  advice 
of  Commodore  William  H.  Shock.  The  fate  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  was 
then  delicately  balanced,  and  when  I  saw  the  immense  tongue  break 
and  harmlessly  underrun  the  ship  I  gave  heartfelt  thanks  to  Shock's 
good  judgment.  She  would  groan  from  stem  to  stern  ;  the  cabin-doors 
were  often  jammed  so  that  we  could  not  get  out  in  case  of  an  emer- 
gency, and  the  heavy  truss  was  imbedded  three  quarters  of  an  inch  into 
the  ceiling.  The  safety  of  the  ship  at  that  time  was  due  entirely  to  the 
truss."  Recording  the  experiences  which  have  been  just  named,  De 
Long  says :  "  This  steady  strain  on  one's  mind  is  fearful.     Seemingly 


THE  FOREFOOT   BREAKS.  883 

we  are  not  secure  for  a  moment,  and  yet  we  can  take  no  measures  for 
our  security.  A  crisis  may  occur  at  any  moment,  and  we  can  do  noth- 
ing but  be  thankful  in  the  morning  that  it  has  not  come  during  the 
nightf  and  at  night  that  it  has  not  come  since  morning.  Living  over  a 
powder-mill,  waiting  for  an  explosion,  would  be  a  similar  mode  of  exist- 
ence. .  .  .  Sleeping  with  all  my  clothes  on,  and  starting  up  anxiously 
at  every  snap  or  crack  in  the  ice  outside,  or  the  ship's  frame  inside, 
most  effectually  prevents  my  getting  a  proper  kind  or  amount  of  rest,  and 
yet  I  do  not  see  anything  else  in  store  for  me  for  some  time  to  come." 

Christmas  Day  was  the  dreariest  day  he  ever  experienced,  passed 
certainly  in  the  dreariest  part  of  the  world ;  yet  it  was  something  to 
have  had  as  yet  no  serious  mishap.  The  crew  came  aft  to  wish  the 
officers  a  merry  day,  and  made  music  for  them  in  the  deck-house.  The 
ship's  bells  at  midnight  of  the  31st  called  all  hands  together  to  give 
three  cheers  on  the  quarter-deck  for  the  New  Year,  and  for  tlie 
"  Jeannette." 

Lieutenant  Danenhower  was  now  unfortunately  placed  on  the  sick- 
list,  being  in  danger  of  losing  the  sight  of  his  left  eye.  Surgeon  Ambler 
found  it  necessary  that  he  should  remain  in  total  darkness  in  his  room. 
DeLong  was  very  much  distressed  at  the  news,  as  the  Lieutenant's 
efforts  had  kept  off  the  moping  for  many  an  hour,  and  he  feared  the 
effect  of  such  confinement  on  the  mind.  The  sick  man  did  not  improve 
during  the  month  of  January. 

Forced  anxieties  for  the  condition  of  the  ship  were  intensified 
on  the  loth,  19th,  and  22d.  On  the  15th  the  floe  was  found  to  have 
cracked  and  opened  about  twenty  feet  from  the  starboard  side,  the 
crack  rounding  the  bow  and  running  in  one  direction  in  the  prolonga- 
tion of  the  stem,  and  in  another  across  the  stern.  At  3  p.  m.  it  had 
widened  to  eight  feet  in  width,  another  fissure  appearing  on  the  port 
side  about  one  hundred  feet  distant.  On  the  19th  there  was  a  loud 
noise  as  of  the  cracking  of  the  ship's  fi'ame,  and  at  7.45  a.  m.  the  wind 
suddenly  shifted  from  north  to  northwest,  the  ice  began  to  move,  and 
the  ship  evidently  received  tremendous  pressure  amid  the  groaning  and 
grinding  floes.  The  ice  moving  to  the  eastward,  piled  up  large  masses 
of  the  floe  under  the  stem,  breaking  the  fore-foot. 


384  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

PUMPING  BEGUN  JANUARY   19,  1880. 

To  add  to  the  anxieties  of  the  ship's  company,  two  streams  of  water 
an  inch  in  diameter  then  began  to  flow  through  the  filling  which  had 
been  put  in  below  the  berth  deck,  and  the  water  soon  stood  eighteen 
inches  deep  in  the  fore-peak  and  thirty-six  inches  in  the  fore-hold,  while 
in  the  fire-room  it  was  over  the  floor-plates  on  the  starboard  side.  The 
deck  pumps  were  at  once  rigged  and  manned,  and  by  the  indomitable 
energy  of  Melville,  as  credited  to  him  in  DeLong's  journal,  after  five 
hours'  severe  labor,  the  steam  pump  was  set  to  work.  The  temperature 
of  the  fire-room  was  — 29°,  outside  of  it,  it  had  run  down  to  — 4J:°, 
one  of  the  mercurial  thermometers  freezing  solid.  The  barometer  had 
ranged  from  29.62°  to  30°.  An  attempt  to  cut  out  the  ice  under  the 
bow  by  digging  away  some  of  the  pieces  which  had  been  piled  up, 
served  only  to  bring  the  water  over  the  ice  beneath,  which  by  freezing 
effectually  stopped  work.  No  injury  could  be  detected  outside,  but  the 
correct  judgment  was  already  formed  that  the  ship's  fore-foot  had  been 
broken  off  or  twisted,  starting  the  starboard  strakes.  On  the  22d,  at 
midnight,  the  water  still  stood  nineteen  inches  deep  at  the  fire-room 
bilge,  and  at  the  step  of  the  fore-mast.  The  barometer  rose  from 
30.05°  to  30.28° ;  the  thermometer  was  —28°  at  midnight,  —37°  at 
noon. 

This  day,  at  the  urgent  advice  of  the  Surgeon,  an  operation  was  per- 
formed on  Lieutenant  Danenhower's  left  eye,  and  borne  with  heroic 
endurance  by  the  patient.  To  this  expression  DeLong,  while  referring 
to  the  possible  necessity  of  another  operation,  adds :  "  My  anxieties  are 
beginning  to  crowd  on  me.  A  disabled  and  leaking  ship,  a  seriously 
sick  officer,  and  an  uneasy  and  terrible  pack,  with  the  constantly  dimin- 
ishing coal-pile,  and  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest 
Siberian  settlement  —  these  are  enough  to  think  of  for  a  life-time."  It 
was  some  relief  to  all  this  that  by  the  27th  it  was  found  that  the  Sewell 
pump  was  making  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  per  hour, 
holding  the  water  in  check.  The  leak  had  been  diminished  from  the 
23d  over  one-third.  Two  of  the  crew,  Nindemann  and  Sweetman,  were 
working  all  day  from  9  A.  m.  to  11  p.  m.  in  stuffing  plaster-of-paris  and 


EETURN   OF  LIGHT.  385 

ashes  in  the  spaces  between  frames  through  holes  cut  in  the  ceiling 
above  the  berth  deck  on  each  side  ;  their  work  soon  diminished  the 
leak  four  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  per  hour. 

The  night  of  the  Arctic  regions  had  given  to  each  one  of  the  ship's 
company  the  usual  bleached  appearance,  but  with  the  exception  of  the 
sick  officer,  the  company  were  still  in  fair  health.  Their  spirits  had 
been  raised  on  the  26th  by  the  reappearance  of  the  sun.  All  hands 
turned  out  to  enjoy  the  pleasing  novelty  of  seeing  genuine  sun-shadows 
for  the  first  time  in  seventy-one  days,  and,  although  the  glare  at  first 
made  the  eye  blink  like  an  owl,  DeLong  could  not  get  enough  of  the 
pleasant  sight.  The  light  was  specially  cheering,  for  when  the  sun  was 
on  the  meridian  to  the  southward,  the  full  moon  was  on  the  meridian 
at  the  northern  horizon  so  that  for  twenty-four  hours  there  was  sun- 
light or  full-moonlight  all  the  time. 

The  month  of  February  still  found  at  work  the  steam-pump  which 
was  to  be  in  very  successful  use  till  May.  It  made  forty  strokes  a 
minute,  pumping  out  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  an 
hour. 

On  the  1st  and  2d  of  the  month  two  large  bears  were  killed,  the  stom- 
ach of  the  larger  one  containing  nothing  but  several  small  stones  resem- 
bling pieces  of  slate.  Impelled  by  hunger,  he  had  tried  to  get  on  board 
ship,  attracted  by  the  meat  of  the  first  bear  hung  up  to  a  girt-line. 

On  the  6th  of  the  month,  in  measuring  the  thickness  of  the  floe,  it 
was  found  that  another  floe  had  shoved  in  under  it,  which  gave  DeLong 
reason  to  think  that  this  had  been  the  case  all  around  the  ship,  and  that 
the  control  of  the  leak  had  been  due  to  the  underlying  floes  of  ice  unit- 
ing by  freezing  and  lowering  the  water-head  in  the  vicinity  of  the  leak. 
To  this  record  DeLong's  journal  added  the  sadly  prophetic  words,  "  If 
this  be  the  case,  we  shall  have  our  hands  full  at  the  breaking  up." 

By  the  15th  the  pumping  had  been  so  perfected  as  to  hold  the  water 
in  check  without  resorting  to  pumps  to  be  worked  by  the  main  boiler, 
and  this  had  very  encouragingly  reduced  the  consumption  of  coal  to 
four  hundred  pounds  per  day  only,  in  place  of  the  one  thousand  or  one 
thousand  two  hundred  which  would  have  been  consumed  by  the  main 
boiler  furnaces.    But  the  troubles  seemed  to  thicken.    The  water  forced 


386  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

its  way  through  the  filling  between  the  frames  to  the  berth-deck,  mak- 
ing it  wet,  sloppy,  and  unhealthful.  Sweetman  partially  succeeded  in. 
stopping  this  by  putting  in  more  filling,  building  a  little  bulkhead 
under  the  berths,  and  boring  a  hole  into  the  deck  to  let  the  water  off 
into  the  fore-peak.  On  the  19th  DeLong  wrote :  "  All  our  hoped-for 
explorations,  and  perhaps  discoveries  this  coming  summer,  seem  slipping 
away  from  us,  and  we  have  nothing  ahead  but  taking  a  leaking  ship  to 
the  United  States.  At  the  best  I  do  not  like  to  contemplate  any  further 
accident,  although  in  our  position  almost  anything  might  happen  to 
us."  On  the  23d,  Washington's  birthday  was  celebrated  by  dressing 
the  ship  with  American  ensigns  at  the  mastheads  and  flagstaff,  and  the 
Union  Jack  forward;  the  22d  had  been  Sunday.  Beyond  flag-hoisting 
there  was  no  holiday,  for  there  was  too  much  work  to  be  done. 

March  1,  Lieutenant  Danenhower  had  the  sixth  operation  on  his  eye 
performed,  with  the  Surgeon's  statement  that  others  would  probably 
be  necessary  at  short  intervals ;  he  still  kept  his  health  and  spirits.  The 
ship  had  again  drifted  northwest,  her  position  being  determined  by 
Chipp  on  the  6th,  to  be  lat.  72°  12'  N.,  long.  175°  30'  W. ;  by  the  13th 
the  drift  was  again  thirty-three  miles  north  and  55°  W.,  and  by  the 
27th,  fourteen  miles  further  to  north,  and  63°  W. 

DeLong  thought  that  he  was  extremely  fortunate  in  lying  so  long 
without  serious  disturbance.  The  upper  part  of  the  propeller  frame 
had  been  uncovered  by  digging  away  the  ice  under  the  stern,  and  no 
sign  of  any  damage  was  apparent  there.  The  ice  also  had  been  dug 
away  under  the  bows  to  a  point  on  the  stem  where  the  draught  would 
be  six  and  one  half  feet,  at  which  depth  diligent  search  could  detect  no 
injury  to  the 'bow,  and  DeLong  came  more  than  ever  to  the  correct 
(^pinion  that  the  ship's  fore-foot  was  the  seat  of  the  damage.  Unhappily 
at  midnight,  after  the  digging,  the  pressure  of  the  water  underneath 
'  was  too  much  for  the  thin  layer  of  remaining  ice,  and  holes  were  broken 
through  sufficient  to  flood  the  large  pit  under  the  bow.  He  says,  "  If 
we  only  could  get  down  to  the  leak  and  tinker  at  it,  we  might  do  some- 
thing. If  we  could  have  open  water  enough,  we  might  build  a  coffer- 
dam and  get  it  under  the  bow,  or  if  we  could  get  the  ship  into  a  harbor 
and  beach  her,  we  would  be  all  right ;  but  these  things  seem  impos- 


COAL  SUPPLY  FAILING.  887 

sible."  At  the  same  time  great  confused  masses  were  piled  up  thirty 
and  forty  feet  in  height,  and  Sharvell,  one  of  the  crew,  reported  that 
he  saw,  about  five  miles  northwest  of  the  ship,  ice  piled  up  as  high  as 
the  masthead ;  he  thought  the  destruction  of  the  ship  by  its  reaching . 
that  mountain  of  ice,  or  by  that  mountain  of  ice  reaching  her,  merely  a 
questioji  of  time.  On  the  24th  and  25th  eight  times  as  much  water  as 
before  had  come  into"  the  fire-room ;  no  greater  amount  seemed  to  come 
in  forward,  but  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  steam-cutter's  engine  going 
nearly  all  the  time  aft.  It  was  impossible  to  discover  what  could  have 
gone  under  the  ship  to  affect  the  leak  in  this  way. 

An  immense  walrus  had  been  shot,  thirty  of  the  dogs  and  four  of 
the  men  being  unable  to  drag  him  in  over  the  rough  ice  until  cut  in 
two.  Nindemann  estimated  his  weight  at  two  thousand  eight  hundred' 
pounds ;  a  prize  for  dog  food,  which  Alexai  had  secured.  Strangely 
enough  the  observations  of  the  30th  placed  the  "  Jeannette  "  almost 
identically  in  the  same  position  with  that  occupied  four  months  before. 

The  look-out  for  steaming,  except  for  a  few  days,  was  already  begin- 
ning to  be  almost  hopeless,  as  with  all  the  economy  which  had  been 
brought  into  use,  sixty-three  tons  of  coal  was  the  utmost  which  could 
be  expected  to  be  on  hand  by  May  1.  Thirty-five  tons  of  this  kept  for 
the  possibility  of  a  second  winter  in  the  pack,  would  leave  but  twenty- 
eight  for  steaming,  pumping,  and  cooking  during  the  summer,  yet  the 
consumption  of  coal  in  pumping  the  ship  had  been  a  necessity,  for  hand- 
pumping  alone  would  have  probably  placed  many  on  the  sick  list.  But 
a  happy  thought  came  into  DeLong's  mind ;  pumping  might  be  done 
by  constructing  a  windmill.  Consulting  Melville  as  to  making  the 
necessary  machinery  on  board  ship,  the  engineer  thought  out  all  the 
details  and  commenced  making  drawings,  and  on  the  17th  mounted  the 
windmill  as  an  experiment  on  the  ice  without  sails.  Three  days  after- 
wards it  was  attached  to  the  shifted  bilge-pump  and  set  to  work ;  its 
sails,  made  at  first  of  sheeting,  having  too  little  surface,  were  improved 
by  substituting  for  these,  sheet-tin  fans,  utilized  from  the  empty  coffee 
and  sugar  tins.     The  winds,  hpwever,  were  light. 

By  the  25th  of  April,  a  meridian  altitude  showed  for  the  lat.  72° 
52'  N.,  a  progress  northward  ;  as  the  water  also  was  deepening,  DeLong 


388  A]tfERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES.  ' 

began  again  to  hope  that  there  was  a  chance  of  a  speedy  breaking 
up  of  the  ice  by  the  wind,  or  by  the  yet  to  be  discovered  current; 
but  on  the  26th  the  sounding  suddenly  dropped  thirteen  and  one  half 
fathoms  less,  the  drift  was  northwest.  He  was  anxious  to  get  on, 
hoping  that  73"  was  a  barrier  which  once  passed,  they  could  go  forward 
with  some  credit  to  the  name  the  ship  bore.  On  the  last  day  of  the 
month  the  total  drift  as  shown  by  observation,  amounted  to  eighty-four 
and  two-tenth  miles  to  and  fro  ;  "made  good  in  a  straight  line  forty-six 
miles  N.,  50°  W."  The  zigzag  course  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  was  begin- 
ning to  mark  out  the  whole  strange  line  shown  on  the  Circumpolar 
Map  in  the  Pocket  of  this  volume.  The  drift  to  the  northwest  was 
extremely  disheartening.  DeLong  had  constantly  hoped  to  be  set 
northeast,  but  according  to  the  experience  of  all  in  the  Arctic,  —  the 
English  relief  ships  for  Franklin,  the  whalers,  and,  very  recently,  the 
observations  of  Lieutenant  Ray,  U.  S.  Signal  Service  Corps,  stationed 
near  Point  Barrow,  the  ice  masses  of  the  north  do  not  remain  open. 

In  May,  the  Commander's  journal  has  the  following  striking  pass- 
age :  "  Whatever  theory  may  have  been  advanced  as  to  currents  in  this 
part  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  I  think  our  drift  is  demonstrating  that  they 
are  the  local  creation  of  the  wind  for  the  time  being.  As  our  drift  in 
general  resulting  direction  has  been  northwest  since  our  first  beset- 
ment,  so  is  it  a  fact  that  the  greater  amount  of  wind  has  been  from  the 
southeast,  our  short  and  irregular  side-drift  east  and  west  and  occasion- 
ally back  to  south  being  due  to  correspondingly  short  and  irregular 
winds  from  northwest  or  east.  A  glance  at  my  wind-record  will  make 
that  clear.  .  .  .  TJieory  as  to  our  movement  is  long  since  abandoned  in 
my  mind,  giving  way  to  facts  based  on  experience.  Theory  may  assert 
how  we  ought  to  drift,  but  our  position  from  day  to  day  shows  how  we 
do  drift,  and  I  accept  the  situation."  Yet  a  lingering  hope  for  the  best 
prompted  him  after  a  short  drift  east,  to  write :  "  We  have  evidently 
gotten  under  way  again,  though  from  soine  reason  we  are  prevented 
from  going  to  the  westward,  perhaps  by  a  heavy  barrier  of  ice,  against 
which  our  field  is  slowly  grinding  along.  I  have  had  an  idea  that  our 
drift  of  late  may  be  explained  in  some  such  manner ;  our  field  turning 
on  a  pivot  as  it  advances,  and  eventually  bringing  us  to  its  highest 


IMPERFECT   OBSERVATIONS.  389 

point  will  throw  us  off  to  the  eastward.  The  northwesting  having  been 
accomplished  we  are  now  doing  our  northing,  and  then  going  to  north- 
east, will  eventually  be  carried  along  east,  by  the  current  which  sets  east 
through  the  Archipelago  north  of  the  American  Continent.  Time  will 
show  the  fallacy  or  the  truth  of  this  supposition ;  but  meanwhile  it 
affords  a  subject  for  contemplation."  But  soon  after  this  DeLong 
again  wrote :  "  A  drift  of  five  and  a  half  miles  to  south  38°  E.  The 
irony  of  fate !  How  long,  O  Lord  ?  How  long  ?  As  to  there  being 
any  warm  current  reaching  to  a  high  latitude,  we  have  found  none. 
I  am  inclined  to  agree  with  Lieutenant  Weyprecht,  when  he  says,  *The 
Gulf  Stream  does  not  regulate  the  limits  of  the  ice  ;  but  the  ice,  set  in 
motion  by  winds,  regulates  the  limits  of  the  warmer  Gulf  Stream  water; 
and  I  pronounce  a  thermometric  gateway  to  the  pole  a  delusion  and  a 
snare.'  Of  course,  if  any  warm  current  came  through  Bering  Strait 
it  would  be  the  Kurt)  Siwo,  and  our  sea  temperatures  have  indicated 
no  such  fact.  .  .  If  we  only  had  something  to  do,  that  would  be  ad- 
vancing the  interests  of  the  Expedition,  there  would  be  some  excite- 
ment in  the  life.  Hourly  meteorological  observations  are  taken,  it  is 
true,  and  the  ship's  position  daily  obtained  by  sights,  and  then  we 
have  to  stop.  Magnetic  observations  of  any  value  are  impossible, 
because  of  our  ever-changing  positions.  Rough  observations  for  the 
variations  and  dip  are  obtained,  but  they  will  serve  only  for  con- 
venient approximate  reference,  and  will  have  no  exact  scientific  impor- 
tance. The  constant  change  of  position  prevents  any  correct  pendulum 
experiments  from  being  made.  No  astronomical  observations,  except 
determinations  of  latitude  and  longitude,  with  sextant  and  artificial 
horizon,  have  been  possible,  because  the  erection  of  the  observatory 
and  the  mounting  of  the  instruments  on  the  ice,  in  our  situation, 
would  have  exposed  them  to  loss  should  a  break-up  occur.  Soundings 
are  made  daily,  and  specimens  of  the  bottom  obtained  and  preserved 
for  future  reference.  Temperatures  of  the  surface  water  are  recorded 
every  day  at  the  sounding-hole,  and  that  exhausts  hydrography  for  us. 
At  this  temperature  it  is  not  practicable  to  add  water-cups  and  sea- 
thermometers  to  our  lead-line,  for  it  ices  up  so  fast,  and  breaks  so 
readily  when  frozen,  that  we  might  lose  cups  and  thermometers.    Natu- 


390  AMERICA2T   EXPLORATIONS   HST  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

ral  History  is  well  looked  out  for.     Any  animal  or  bird  that  comes 
near  the  ship  does  so  at  his  peril." 

"  The  important  point  of  the  drift,"  says  Lieutenant  Danenhower» 
"  is  in  the  fact  that  the  ship  traversed  an  immense  area  of  ocean,  at 
times  gyrating  in  almost  perfect  circles,  her  course  and  the  observa- 
tions of  her  officers  proving  that  land  does  not  exist  in  that  area, 
and  establishing  many  facts  of  value  as  regards  the  depth  and  character 
of  the  ocean  bed  and  its  temperatures,  animal  life,  etc.  It  is  matter  of 
lasting  regret  that  the  two  thousand  observations  of  Lieutenant  Chipp,. 
an  accomplished  electrician,  especially  upon  the  disturbances  of  the 
galvanometer  during  auroras,  as  recommended  to  be  made  by  the 
Smithsonian  Institution,  as  well  as  the  meteorological  observations  of 
Mr.  Collins,  perished  with  the  lamented  young  officers  in  the  wreck  of 
their  boat  on  the  Siberian  shore." 

May  27,  the  windmill-pump  by  its  connection  'with  the  boiler  tube- 
pump  was  now  rendering  valuable  service,  reflecting  great  credit  on 
Melville,  Sweetman,  and  Lee. 

Before  the  month  closed,  the  log  was  headed  "  one  hundred  and 
ninety  miles  northwest  of  Herald  Island."  The  total  drift  was  one 
hundred  miles,  eighty-two  miles  to  Ny  38°  W.  The  average  temper- 
ature had  been  °18.46,  lowest,  — °8.5,  the  highest  35°. 


SUMMER   IN   THE   PACK. 

The  ninth  chapter  of  Mrs.  DeLong's  voyage  of  the  "  Jeannette  "^ 
bears  the  sad  title,  "A  Frozen  Summer,  June-August,  1880."  The  hopes^ 
of  release  for  the  ship  from  her  icy  cradle  seemed  well  grounded  by 
the  thermometer  reading  37°,  with  a  fall  of  rain  on  the  first  day  of  June. 
Fires  were  discontinued  in  the  cabin  and  berth-deck,  and  the  record 
could  be  made  that  there  was  a  gradual  resuming  of  ship-shape  propor- 
tions to  be  ready  for  a  start  northward  and  eastward,  or  northward  and 
westward,  whichever  the  ice  and  the  winds  would  permit ;  and  DeLong 
had  been  again  hoping  strongly  day  after  day  for  some  indication  of  a 
coming  liberation.  The  decks  were  rapidly  clearing,  and  he  thought  he 
was  surely  approaching  the  time  when  nothing  would  remain  but  to 


FALSE   HOPES.  391 

hang  the  rudder  and  make  sail  for  some  satisfactory  result  of  the  cruise. 
But,  from  the  first  day  of  the  month  to  the  longest  of  the  year,  fogs, 
snows,  and  gales  were  almost  the  daily  log  entry.  The  drift,  contrary  to 
all  expectation,  had  been  generally  to  the  southeast.  For  more  than 
nine  months  the  ship  had  been  driven  here  and  there  at  the  will  of  the 
winds.  On  the  30th  her  position  was  72°  19'  41"  N.,  178°  27'  30"  E. 
fifty  miles  south,  9°  E.  of  her  place  on  the  first.  She  was  heeling  4°  to 
starboard  (3°  all  winter),  and  her  doubling  on  that  side  was  about  four 
inches  above  the  water.  From  the  crow's  nest  it  could  be  seen  that  she 
was  in  the  centre  of  an  ice-island,  a  lane  of  water  in  some  places  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  surrounding  her  at  the  distance  of  about  a 
mile.  Muc^  effort  had  been  made  to  liberate  the  screw  without  suc- 
cess.    The  drift  on  that  day  was  only  one  mile. 

The  journal  of  July  8  makes  special  reference  to  the  thickness  of 
the  floes  around  and  underneath  the  "  Jeannette."  It  recites  the  facts, 
that  "  in  September,  1879,  after  ramming  the  ship  through  forty  miles  of 
leads,  she  was  pushed  into  a  crevice  between  two  heavy  floes  subsequently 
found  to  be  thirteen  feet  thick ;  a  depth  caused  by  the  overriding  and 
uniting  of  one  floe  with  another  by  regelation  under  pressure.  When 
she  was  pushed  out  into  open  water  November  following,  she  was 
afloat,  but  the  next  day,  iced  in."  By  January  17,  1880,  the  ice  had  a 
thickness  of  four  feet  around  the  vessel,  later  measurements  being  ren- 
dered impossible  by  the  confused  massing  which  took  place  two  days 
afterward.  As  the  leak  had  now  almost  subsided  more  firmly  and  cor- 
rectly. DeLong  believed  that  he  was  buoyed  up  by  a  floe  extending 
down  and  under  the  keel.  "Let  us  hope,"  he  wrote,  "that  one  of 
these  days  the  mass  will  break  up  and  let  us  down  to  our  bearings." 
How  sad  these  bearings  were  to  prove !  The  forefoot  was  irre- 
trievably wrenched.  The  ship  must  sink  immiediately  on  the  "  break- 
ing up." 

During  the  remainder  of  the  month  of  July,  and  throughout  August, 
the  monotonous  record  of  the  previous  months  of  routine  duty  on  board 
ship,  and  of  drift  with  no  release  from  the  ice,  remained  with  scarcely 
a  variation  from  day  to  day.  August  17,  DeLong  writes :  "  Our  glor- 
ious summer  is  passing  away;  it  is  painful  beyond  expression  to  go 


392  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

round  the  ice  in  the  morning  and  see  no  change  since  the  night  before, 
and  to  look  the  last  thing  at  night  at  the  same  thing  you  saw  in  the 
morning.  .  .  .  High  as  our  temperature  is  (34°),  foggy  weather  a  daily 
occurrence,  yet  here  we  are  hard  and  fast,  with  ponds  here  and  there 
two  or  three  feet  deep,  with  an  occasional  hole  through  to  the  sea. 
Does  the  ice  never  find  an  outlet  ?  It  has  no  regular  set  in  any  direc- 
tion north,  south,  east,  or  west,  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  but  slowly 
surges  in  obedience  to  wind  pressure,  and  grinds  back  again  to  an 
equilibrium  when  the  pressure  ceases.  Are  there  no  tides  in  this 
ocean  ?  .  .  .  Full  moon  or  new  moon,  last  quarter  or  first  quarter,  the 
ice  is  as  immovable  as  a  rock.  ...  It  is  hard  to  believe  that  an  impene- 
trable barrier  exists  clear  up  to  the  Pole,  and  yet  as  far  as  we  have 
gone,  we  have  not  seen  one  speck  of  land  north  of  Herald  Island." 
The  average  drift  for  the  month  had  been  to  the  southeast. 

September  1,  the  ship  at  last  was  on  an  even  keel,  and  this  had 
occurred  very  quietly  and  without  shock ;  one  or  two  large  chunks  of 
ice  rose  to  the  surface  and  then  all  was  still.  The  ship  was  3^et 
immovable,  her  keel  and  forefoot  being  held  in  the  cradles.  After 
sawing  under  the  forefoot  five  or  six  feet,  in  the  hope  of  getting  once 
more  properly  afloat,  it  was  found  that  more  water  came  in,  and  the 
sawing  must  be  arrested.  The  well-grounded  apprehension  existed 
that  the  broken  stem  or  sprung  garboards  were  firmly  held  in  the  ice, 
and  that  work  on  the  ship  would  only  tend  to  open  the  rent  still  more 
widely.  With  the  prospect  of  a  second  winter  in  the  pack,  and  with 
but  fifty-three  tons  of  coal,  there  was  no  desire  to  go  back  to  steam 
pumping,  from  which  the  ship  had  been  relieved  by  the  uae  of  the  quar- 
ter-deck pump  which  was  now  bringing  by  the  hand  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  gallons  per  hour.  The  comfort  of  being  on  an  even  keel  was 
very  great,  but  the  hope  of  keeping  the  ship  afloat  if  she  should  reach 
open  water,  was  to  all  very  questionable.  ^  Before  the  close  of  the 
month,  the  idea  of  open  water  was  abandoned,  and  preparations  made 
for  a  second  winter  in  the  pack.  What  gave  the  most  concern  and 
anxiety  was  to  make  it  possible  for  a  readiness  to  abandon  the  ship 
suddenly  in  case  of  disaster.  As  long  as  enough  of  the  vessel  should 
remain  for  shelter,  it  was  preferable  to  camping  on  the  ice ;  and  the 


THE  ARCTIC   NIGHT.  393 

lamented  Commander  already  could  "  conceive  no  greater  forlorn  hope 
than  to  attempt  to  reach  Siberia  over  the  ice  with  a  winter's  cold  sap- 
ping one's  life  at  every  step." 

There  was  no  apprehension  of  the  lack  of  food,  several  bears  being 
again  secured.  With  the  exception  of  Lieutenant  Danenhower's  case, 
and  that  of  the  temporary  sickness  of  two  of  the  crew,  the  general 
health  of  the  ship's  company  remained  good,  the  quick  restoration  of 
the  sick  showing  a  freedom  from  all  taint  of  scurvy.  Lieutenant 
Danenhower  had  been  under,  severe  treatment  for  nine  months,  but 
for  his  eyes  only. 

PLEASANT   OBSERVATIONS. 

In  some  relief  doubtless  to  the  monotonous  journal  entries  of  these 
months,  the  "  Voyage  of  the  '  Jeannette ' "  contains  several  specially 
graphic  pictures,  the  first  of  which  here  cited  is  from  DeLong's  pen, 
and  the  second  from  Lieutenant  Chipp's. 

"  October  16.  I  have  heretofore  made  several  attempts  to  describe 
the  beauty  of  these  Arctic  winter  nights,  but  have  found  my  powers  too 
feeble  to  do  the  subject  justice.  They  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated. 
.It  is  so  hard  to  make  a  descriptive  picture  of  moon,  stars,  ice,  and 
ship,  and  unluckily  photography  cannot  come  into  play  in  this  tempera- 
ture to  supply  a  real  picture.  Imagine  a  moon  nearly  full,  a  cloudless 
sky,  brilliant  stars,  a  pure  white  waste  of  snow-covered  ice,  which 
seems  firm  and  crisp  under  your  feet,  a  ship  standing  out  in  bold  relief, 
every  rope  and  thread  plainly  visible,  and  enormously  enlarged  by 
accumulations  of  fluffy  and  down-like  frost  feathers ;  and  you  have  a 
crude  picture  of  the  scene.  But  to  fill  in  and  properly  understand  the 
situation,  one  must  experience  the  majestic  and  awful  silence  which 
generally  prevails  on  these  occasions,  and  causes  one  to  feel  how  tri- 
fling and  insignificant  he  is  in  comparison  with  such  grand  works  in 
nature.  The  brightness  is  wonderful.  The  reflection  of  moonlight 
from  bright  ice-spots  makes  brilliant  effects,  and  should  a  stray  piece  of 
tin  be  near  you,  it  seems  to  have  the  light  of  a  dazzling  gem.  A  win- 
dow in  the  deck-house  looks  like  a  calcium  light  when  the  moonlight 
strikes  it  at  the  proper  angle,  and  makes  the  feeble  light  from  an  oil- 


394  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE   ZONES. 

lamp  within,  seem  ridiculous  when  the  angle  is  changed.  Standing  one 
hundred  yards  away  from  the  ship  one  has  a  scene  of  the  grandest, 
wildest,  and  most  awful  beauty." 

On  the  following  midnight,  he  says,  "the  scene  was  almost  worth 
the  imprisonment  that  accompanied  it.  One  half  the  sky  was  covered 
by  cumulo-stratus  clouds,  moving  from  north  to  south,  and  at  that 
moment,  extending  from  the  zenith  to  the  southern  horizon,  obscuring 
the  moon  and  the  stars  (north  of  the  zenith  the  sky  was  clear,  except 
a  streak  of  cirro-stratus  above  a  small  bank  of  rising  cumulo-stratus). 
Immediately  following  the  first-named  cumulo-stratus  clouds,  and  near 
the  zenith,  was  a  faint  auroral  arch  extending  from  east  to  west,  with 
its  ends  slightly  curving  to  the  southward,  and  hidden  by  the  clouds 
near  the  horizon.  As  the  clouds  nearly  uncovered  the  east  end,  a  mass 
of  bright-green  light  shot  up,  and  spread  like  a  fan  over  10°  of  arc ; 
and  just  as  the  east  end  was  completely  uncovered,  the  mass  changed 
into  brilliant  green  spiral  curtains,  terminating  a  bright  white  arch, 
through  the  zenith  to  west.  After  perhaps  a  minute,  the  clouds  being 
well  clear  of  the  arch,  the  light  paled  and  lost  colors,  and  the  arch-ends 
straggled  back  to  northwest  and  northeast,  the  centre  being  at  the 
zenith.  The  moon  then  became  entirely  uncovered,  the  floe  seemed- 
lighted  as  in  midday,  and  but  few  faint  streaks  of  arches  remained 
thin  and  almost  indeterminate." 

At  the  later  winter  date  of  December  27,  at  3  A.  m.,  Lieutenant 
Chipp  noted  "  a  bright  auroral  curtain  about  10°  above  the  hoi^on  from 
east-southeast  to  northwest,  generally  white,  but  occasionally  showing 
a  green  shade,  and  rarely  a  brownish-red  color,  which  disappeared  a& 
soon  as  seen.  Above  this  curtain  the  sky  was  of  a  deep  blue  black, 
through  which  the  stars  shone  brilliantly  as  they  did  also  through  the 
deepest  part  of  the  curtain.  Above  the  deep  blue-black  were  irregular 
spirals  and  streaks  of  white  light,  in  continuous  motion  appearing  and> 
disappearing  , ;  pidly.  From  east  to  west,  through  the  zenith,  was  an 
irregular  arch  formed  of  detached  streaks  of  brownish-red  light,  among 
which  white  light  would  suddenly  appear,  and  as  suddenly  vanish. 
This  arch  was  5°  broad.  Stars  shone  with  apparently  undiminished 
brilliancy  through  the  deepest  color." 


LAND  DISCOVERED.  395 

It  must  be  already  a  matter  of  much  surprise  to  the  reader,  awaken- 
ing the  deepest  interest  and  sympathy  in  these  few  pa^es  of  "The 
Journal,"  to  mark  how  these  disappointed  explorers,  conscious  of  lost 
hopes  of  usefulness,  and  of  almost  lost  hope  of  freedom  from  ice 
imprisonment,  kept  up  their  good  cheer.  Christmas  day  and  New 
Year's  day  had  witnessed  the  repetition  of  celebrations  as  if  at  home ; 
and  the  amusements  necessary  for  health  even  in  Arctic  solitude  and 
its  monotony  were  renewed.  There  never,  perhaps,  was  equal  proof 
of  the  eternal  springing  up  of  hope  than  here,  even  after  the  severest 
reverses.  There  is  abundant  confirmation  of  the  declaration  written 
by  the  late  Admiral  Davis  in  his  reference  to  the  Polaris  part}'^  — 
(  "  Narrative  of  the  North  Polar  Expedition  of  1871  ")  —  that  a  trust 
in  Divine  Providence  never  deserts  the  breast  of  a  true  seaman.  De 
Long  does  not  seem  to  have  omitted  a  single  reading  of  Divine  Service 
to  his  officers  on  shipboard,  and  doubtless  gave  himself  entirely  into 
the  hands  of  the  Omnipotent,  expressing  frequently  his  thankfulness 
for  what  health,  comfort,  and  hope  remained  —  and  this  to  the  last 
hour.  January  1,  1881,  he  wrote :  "  I  begin  the  new  year  by  turning 
over  a  new  leaf  in  this  book,  and  I  hope  in  God  we  are  turning  over  a 
new  leaf  in  our  book  of  luck.  I  am  thankful  for  our  preservation 
among  many  perils."  But  winter  went  on,  spring  came,  that  is  to  say 
as  named  in  the  calendar ;  but  no  spring  for  the  "  Jeannette ; "  no 
release  ;  no  assurance  of  it,  nor  even  from  destruction  of  the  ship  at 
any  hour. 

THE   SPRING  OF   1881. 

The  first  break  of  the  monotony  came  in  May.  On  the  16th,  Ice- 
Master  Dunbar  called  Chipp  to  look  at  Land,  clearly  enough  an  island, 
bearing,  by  DeLong's  quickly  made  observations,  S.  78°  45'  (magnetic), 
N.  83°  15'  W.  true  —  the  lirst  land  to  greet  the  eye  since  March  24, 
1880,  fourteen  months  before.  What  it  had  to  do  in  the  economy  of 
nature  standing  desolate  among  the  icy  wastes  was  not  the  question  ; 
it  might  be  the  spot  to  which  the  ducks  and  geese  had  been  flying,  and 
if  the  ship  could  get  some  of  them  for  a  change,  what  a  treat !  "  Four- 
teen months  without  anything  to  look  at  but  ice  and  sky,  and  twenty 


396  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

months  drifting  in  the  pack  will  make  a  little  mass  of  volcanic  rock 
like  our  island  as  pleasing  to  the  eye  as  an  oasis  in  the  desert."  On 
the  following  day  observations  placed  the  ship  in  lat.  76°  43'  38'',  long., 
E.  161°  42'  30";  the  rocky  cliffs  of  the  island  appeared  with  a  snow- 
covered  slope,  the  highest  and  further  corner  seeming  to  be  a  volcano 
top.  The  temperature  noted  was  maximum  11°  5',  minimum  5°  5'.  The 
*'  Jeannette  "  drifted  past  on  the  north  side ;  the  ice  was  so  broken,  and 
the  pack  running  so  rapidly  that  DeLong  did  not  think  it  prudent  to 
,  make  an  attempt  to  land.     Sketches  were  made  from  the  crow's  nest. 

May  24,  the  pleasing  sight  was  renewed,  more  land  was  ahead,  and 
the  ice  very  slack,  with  many  large  lanes  of  ^  water  varying  in  length 
from  an  eighth  of  a  mile  to  three  miles,  and  in  width  from  twenty  to 
one  hundred  feet.  The  lanes  were  very  tantalizing ;  they  seemed  to  be 
within  a  radius  of  five  miles,  but  the  islands  were  from  thirty  to  forty 
miles  off,  and  from  that  five  miles  radius  to  them,  the  ice  was  as  close 
and  compact  as  ever.  On  the  31st,  estimating  the  distance  to  be  but 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles.  Engineer  Melville,  in  company  with  Dunbar 
and  Nindemann,  and  three  other  seamen,  set  out  from  the  ship  with  a 
fifteen-dog  team  to  visit  this  second  island.  They  landed  on  it  June  3, 
and  took  possession  for  the  United  States,  naming  it  Henrietta  — 
the  name  of  a  sister  of  Mr.  Bennett;  a  cairn  was  -built  and  a  record 
placed  within  it,  and  a  limited  examination  made  of  twelve  hours.  It 
was  found  to  be  a  desolate  rock,  surrounded  by  a  snow  cap  which  feeds 
several  glaciers  on  its  east  face.  Within  the  inaccessible  cliffs,  nesting 
dovekies  were  the  only  signs  of  life.  To  reach  the  land,  the  party  left 
,  their  boat  and  supplies,  and  carrying  only  one  day's  provisions  and  their 
instruments  went  through  the  frightful  ice  mass  at  the  risk  of  life,  drag- 
ging the  dogs,  which  through  fear,  refused  to  follow  their  human 
leaders.  Mr.  Dunbar  returned  badly  affected  by  snow-blindness ;  Chipp, 
Newcomb,  Dunbar,  and  Alexai  were  now  on  the  sick  list,  on  which 
Surgeon  Ambler  had  kept  DeLong  alsO'for  several  days,  in  consequence 
of  a  severe  wound  in  his  head  received  incideutally  from  a  fan  of  the 
windmill.  A  general  order  was  made  out  giving  the  names  and  positions 
of  the  two  islands,  Jeannette  Island,  lat.  76"  47',  long.,  E.  158°  b&,  ap- 
proximate; Henrietta  Island,  lat.  77°  8', long.,  E.  157° 43'.  DeLong  wrote: 


THE  FLOE  OPENS.  397 

"  Thank  God^  we  have  at  last  landed  upon  a  newly-discovered  part  of 
this  earth,  and  a  perilous  journey  (Melville's)  has  been  accomplished 
without  disaster.  It  was  a  great  risk,  but  it  has  resulted  in  some 
advantage." 

THE  CRUSH  AT  LAST,   JUNE   13,  1881. 

These  discoveries  were,  however,  to  be  the  only  fruits  of  the  long 
weary  months ;  sad  forecasts  of  a  ship  to  be  crushed  within  the  coming 
week.  On  the  very  day  last  named,  the  ice  around  her  was  broken 
down  in  immense  masses,  the  whole  pack  being  alive,  and  had  the  ship 
been  within  one  of  the  fast-closing  leads  she  would  have  been  ground 
to  powder.  Embedded  in  a  small  island  of  ice,  she  was  as  yet  protected 
from  the  direct  crushing  on  her  sides,  but  felt  a  continual  hammering 
and  thumping  of  the  ice  under  her  bottom. 

On  the  12th,  Sunday,  at  midnight,  in  a  few  moments'  time,  she  was  set 
free  by  the  split  of  the  floe  on  a  line  with  her  keel,  and  suddenly  right- 
ing, started  all  hands  from  their  beds  to  the  deck.  By  9  A.  m.  the  ice 
had  commenced  coming  in  on  her  side ;  a  heavy  floe  was  hauled  ahead 
into  a  hole  where  it  was  supposed  the  ice  coming  together  would  impinge 
on  itself  instead  of  on  the  ship.  The  pressure  was  very  heavy,  and  gave 
forth  a  hissing,  crunching  sound,  and  at  3.40  p.  m.  the  ice  was  reported 
coming  through  the  starboard  coal  bunkers.  The  ship  was  heeling  more 
than  20°  to  starboard.  At  four  o'clock  she  was  lying  perfectly  quiet,  but 
her  bows  were  thrown  up  so  high  in  the  air,  that  looking  down  through 
the  water  the  injury  to  her  forefoot  made  Jan.  19,  1880,  could  be  seen. 
Melville  went  on  the  floe  to  take  her  photograph,  but  on  returning  to 
the  ship  heard  the  order  to  prepare  to  leave  the  vessel  by  getting  out 
the  chronometers,  rifles,  ammunition,  and  other  articles  to  the  floe.  Lieu- 
tenant Chipp  was  quite  sick  in  bed,  but  was  notified ;  Captain  DeLong 
"was  everywhere,  seeing  that  all  things  went  on  smoothly  and  quietly, 
without  the  least  haste  or  consternation  among  the  crew ;  lie  came 
about  the  deck  in  the  same  manner  as  though  we  were  in  no  danger 
whatever,  and  tried  to  have  the  officers  and  men  feel  as  collected  as  he 
was."  There  was  ample  time  for  all  persons  to  get  out  their  personal 
effects,  but  to  get  a  barrel  of  lime-juice,  so  necessary  to  prevent  scurvy 


398  AMERICAK   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES.- 

on  their  march,  Seaman  Starr  waded  into  the  forward  store-room  at  the 
risk  of  his  life. 

When  the  order  was  given  for  all  hands  to  leave  the  ship  at  about 
eleven  at  night,  her  water-ways  had  been  broken  in,  the  iron  work 
around  the  smoke-pipe  buckled  up,  the  rivets  sheared  off,  and  the 
smoke-stack  left  supported  only  by  the  guys.  Three  boats  were  low- 
ered, the  first  and  the  second  cutter,  and  the  first  whale-boat ;  and  the 
ship's  party  of  thirty-three  made  their  camp  on  the  floe  in  six  tents, 
but  within  an  hour  were  compelled  to  move  still  further  from  its  edge 
by  the  breaking  up  of  the  floe  in  their  camp. 

Lieutenant  Danenhower,  in  his  interesting  "Narrative  of  the  Jean- 
nette,"  from  which  much  that  follows  is  derived,  says  that  soon  after 
the  watch  was  set  and  the  order  given  to  turn  in,  when  they  were 
just  getting  into  their  sleeping-bags,  the  ice  cracked  immediately  under 
the  Captain's  tent,  and  Erickson  would  have  gone  into  the  water,  but 
for  the  Mackintosh  blanket  in  which  he  with  others  was  lying,  the 
weight  of  his  companions  on  each  side  keeping  the  middle  of  it  from 
falling  through.  After  about  two  hours'  work  the  stores  and  three 
boats  were  shifted  to  another  floe  piece,  and  the  party  again  turned  in, 
about  four  hundred  yards  from  where  the  ship  was  going  down  in  lat. 
77°  14'  57"  N.,  long.  154°  58'  45"  E. 

At  4  A.M.,  June  13,  the  cry  of  the  watch  was  heard,  "There  she 
goes ;  hurry  up  and  look,  the  last  sight  you  will  have  of  the  old  '  Jean- 
nette '  ! "  While  the  ice  had  held  together,  it  had  held  her  broken 
timbers.  When  it  opened  —  with  her  colors  flying  at  the  masthead  — 
she  sank  in  thirty-eight  fathoms  of  water,  stripping  her  yards  upwards 
as  she  passed  through  the  floe.  At  3  A.M.,  her  smoke-pipe  top  was 
nearly  awash ;  the  main  topmast  first  fell  by  the  board  to  starboard, 
then  the  fore  topmast,  and  last  of  all  the  mainmast.  The  ship  before 
sinking  had  heeled  to  starboard  about  30°,  and  the  entire  starboard  side 
of  the  spar  deck  was  submerged,  the  rail  being  under  water,  and  the 
water  line  reached  to  the  hatch-coamings  before  the  ship  had  been 
abandoned.  The  next  morning,  a  visit  to  the  place  where  she  was  last 
seen  showed  nothing  more  than  a  signal  chest  and  a  cabin  chair  with 
some  smaller  articles  afloat. 


SUPPLIES   FOR   A  JOURNEY.  399 

THE  RETREAT   SOUTHWARD. 

June  16,  DeLong  called  all  hands  and  read  an  order  that  the  start 
southward  would  begin  at  6  P.M.  on  the  following  day,  the  march  to  be 
in  the  night  to  avoid  snow-blindness  from  the  intense  light;  dinner  to 
be  at  midnight,  supper  at  6  a.m.,  to  be  followed  by  sleep.  The  delay 
had  been  made  on  the  recommendation  of  Surgeon  Ambler  that  the  sick 
and  disabled  might  recruit  before  commencing  their  toilsome  journey. 
Several  of  the  ship's  company  were  suffering  from  lead  poison,  induced 
by  the  action  of  the  acid  on  the  inner  coating  of  the  tins  containing 
canned  goods,  a  fact  which  reminds  one  of  the  condition  of  the  cans 
found  on  Beechey  Island  by  the  first  searching  parties  of  the  Franklin 
Relief  Expeditions,  the  empty  cans  there  showing  by  their  bulged  forms 
the  effect  of  the  fermentation  of  the  fruit  within.  In  the  case  of  the 
"  Jeannette,"  the  poisoning  from  tomato  cans  had  caused  severe  cramps ; 
eight  of  the  party  being  on  the  sick  list. 

Although  at  the  fearful  distance  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  the  Siberian  coast,  with  the  prospect  of  the  most  toilsome  of 
marches  over  hummocks,  and  all  the  uncertainties  of  a  landing  and  the 
subsequent  journeyings  which  must  be  made  of  over  fifteen  hundred 
miles  to  Yakoutsk,  or  six  thousand  five  hundred  to  St.  Petersburg, 
officers  and  men  accepted  their  new  conditions  in  the  same  spirit  of 
fortitude  and  hope.  Their  dependence  was  upon  the  amount  of  pro- 
visions and  clothing  sav^d,  their  boats,  sleds,  teams,  and  their  own 
energy.  They  had  nearly  five  thousand  pounds  of  American  pemmican 
in  canisters  of  forty-five  pounds  weight  each,  about  fifteen  hundred 
pounds  of  other  canned  provisions,  and  fifteen  hundred  pounds  of 
bread  ;  with  a  full  supply  of  ammunition  for  game,  two  dingys  beside 
the  three  boats  named,  and  in  all,  nine  sleds. 

Before  breaking  camp,  DeLong  prepared  and  carefully  sewed  up  in 
B,  piece  of  black  rubber  placed  within  an  empty  boat  breaker,  a  record 
reciting  the  facts  of  the  abandonment  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  after  the  dis- 
covery of  the  two  islands  named,  and  the  crushing  of  the  ship,  and  of 
the  start  southward  in  the  hope,  with  God's  blessing,  to  reach  the  new 
Siberian  Islands,  and  from  thence  to  make  a  way  by  boats  for  the  coasts 


400  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

of  Siberia.  The  closing  paragraphs  of  the  record  spoke  of  the  ice  as  of 
the  same  character  with  that  encountered  by  Captain  Nares,  of  the  prev- 
alence of  the  southeast  winds,  and  of  there  being  no*  currents  not 
caused  by  the  prevailing  wind  at  the  time.  The  month  was  a  cold 
one,  and  he  was  inclined  to  think  it  would  be  a  cold  summer. 

The  order  of  march  was  at  first  to  advance  the  first  cutter  to  a  point 
established  by  Ice-Pilot  Dunbar,  and  then  take  forward  one  by  one  the 
other  two  boats  and  provision  sleds.  Each  officer  and  man  was  provided 
with  a  harness,  fashioned  to  go  across  the  chest  and  one  shoulder,  and 
attached  to  the  sled  by  a  lanyard ;  the  snow  was  knee-deep,  the  road 
very  rough  and  full  of  fissures  over  which  the  boats  were  jumped  or 
ferried,  while  the  sleds  were  dragged  over  large  hummocks.  The  first 
mile  and  a  half  was  made  in  three  hours,  an  unpromising  forecast.  Lieu- 
tenant Chipp,  who  had  urged  his  being  put  on  duty,  fainted,  and  Lee, 
the  machinist,  and  Lauterbach,  had  been  suffering  agony  with  cramps. 
A  halt  of  two  days  was  necessary  to  repair  damages,  when  a  progress 
was  again  made  of  about  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half  a  day  over  the 
rough  and  moving  floe.  The  men  had  to  go  over  the  road  thirteen 
times  —  seven  times  with  loads  and  six  times  empty-handed  —  thus 
making  twenty-six  miles  <to  make  an  advance  of  only  two.  Twenty- 
one  men  had  to  do  most  of  the  work  for  the  thirty-three.  At  the  end 
of  the  first  week  the  Captain  found  by  observation,  that  the  drift  had 
more  than  neutralized  the  way  covered  by  the  advance ;  that,  in  fact, 
he  had  lost  twenty-seven  miles  by  the  drift  to  the  northwest  in  excess 
of  the  march  to  the  South  !  This,  of  course,  was  kept  a  profound 
secret.  In  the  latter  part  of  June  the  snow  all  melted  and  travelling 
was  better,  but  the  men  had  to  wade  through  pools  of  thaw-water  and 
their  feet  were  constantly  wet.  The  number  of  times  passed  over  the 
ground  was  reduced  to  seven,  and  the  advance  facilitated. 


DISCOVERY   OF  BENNETT  ISLAND. 

July  11,  a  heavy  water  sky  was  seen  to  the  south  and  southeast, 
and  the  experienced  ice-pilot  expressed  his  opinion  that  such  clouds 
did  not  hang  over  ice.     Climbing  to  the  top  of  a  hummock  twenty  feet 


BENNETT  ISLAND.  401 

above  the  water  level,  DeLong  says  that  he  saw  a  large  expanse  of 
water  and  unmistakable  land;  and  thought  that  he  might  be  at  the 
margin  of  the  ice-field  leading  him  to  open  water  and  thence  to  the 
Siberian  coast.  At  6.30  A.M.,  he  camped  on  an  ice  island  about  five 
hundred  yards  in  diameter  with  no  encouraging  outlook,  the  southwest 
horizon  foggy  and  the  land  and  water  disappearing.  The  utmost  dis- 
tance made  toward  the  island  was  but  two  miles,  and  from  this  time 
the  progress  was  very  slow,  but  it  was  a  steady  ice  drift  to  the  north- 
east, and  on  the  28th  a  landing  was  made  on  the  new  discovery.  The 
island  was  so  steep  that  a  footing  was  had  with  difficulty,  yet  at  7  p.m. 
everybody  was  on  shore,  the  silk  flag  was  unfurled,  and  possession  taken 
in  the  name  of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  The  south  cape 
was  named  Cape  Emma,  lat.  76°  38"  N.,  long.  148°  20"  E. 

The  surgeon.  Dr.  Ambler,  says  of  Bennett  Island:  "It  is  certainly 
of  volcanic  origin.  It  is  composed  of  trap-rock,  a  species  of  feldspathic 
rock,  igneous  rock  with  silica  caught  up  in  it  in  masses ;  trap-rock  with 
globules  of  silica;  trap-rock  containing  globules,  which  rock  being 
broken  shows  the  globules  of  the  darker  color  sticking  in  the  matrix, 
while  the  portion  of  the  mass  knocked  off  will  show  a  complete  mould 
or  bed.  The  globules  are  about  the  size  of  a  pea,  receive  a  bright 
polish  from  the  finger,  and  are  soft  enough  to  be  cut  with  a  knife  ;  silica, 
very  light  stone  ;  tufa,  I  think,  of  a  light  brown  color,  spongy  in  ap- 
pearance, as  if  blown  up  by  gases ;  lava  of  different  colors,  varying 
from  a  yellowish  brown  to  a  dark  green;  clays  almost  the  color  of 
bricks ;  dSbris  from  the  sides  of  the  cliff  being  disintegrated  portions 
of  this  red,  seemingly  baked  clay. 

"The  face  of  the  cliff,  Cape  Emma,  is  in  six  terraces  of  igneous  rock, 
separated  by  other  strata  imposed,  of  the  red  clay  stuff  which  contains 
most  of  the  silica.  The  amethyst  was  found  in  a  matrix  of  quartz 
imbedded  in  the  trap  rock.  The  stalagmite  and  stalactite  were  found 
upon  breaking  open  a  mass  of  trap-rock  found  lying  on  the  beach,  and 
could  easily  be  removed  by  the  finger.  The  stratification  is  horizontal ; 
fossils  seen.  There  is  also  a  white  stone  with  very  much  the  appear- 
ance of  gypsum.  There  are  two  varieties,  one  occurring  in  tabular 
masses,  with  glistening  sides  when  held  in  the  light,  and  the  other  of  a 


402  AMEEICA2T  EXPLORATIONS   IN"  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

dull,  opaque  white,  and  in  rounded  masses  which  show  the  action  of 
water.  Both  varieties  can  be  cut  with  a  knife,  and  form  an  opaque 
white  powder,  which  effervesces  upon  applying  nitric  and  acetic 
acids." 

The  ship's  company  now  encamped  for  several  days,  needing  rest 
and  change  of  diet.  Their  first  surfeit  on  the  numerous  birds  readily 
knocked  down  brought  some  sickness,  compelling  a  return  to  pem- 
mican.  Dunbar  and  the  two  Indians  explored  the  east  side  of  the 
island,  finding  there  several  grassy  valleys ;  Lieutenant  Chipp  and  Mr. 
Collins  explored  the  south  and  west  sides ;  a  box  of  geological  speci- 
mens was  obtained  and  brought  home  by  Lieutenant  Danenhower.  Dr. 
Ambler  obtained  amethysts,  opals,  and  petrifactions ;  tidal  observations 
were  made,  the  greatest  rise  and  fall  noted  being  about  three  feet.  The 
party  left  the  island  August  6,  and  made  fair  progress  until  the  20th, 
when,  after  drifting  along  the  north  coast  of  Thadeoffsky  Island  (or 
Thaddeus  Island),  they  were  imprisoned  nearly  ten  days,  after  which 
they  found  themselves  in  navigable  water,  and  rounded  the  south  point 
of  the  island. 

THE  BOATS. 

The  three  boats  and  their  several  occupants  were,  the  first  cutter, 
holding  Captain  DeLong,  Surgeon  Ambler,  Mr.  Collins,  and  eleven  of 
the  crew,  including  Ah  Sam,  the  cook,  and  the  Indian,  Alexai ;  the 
second  cutter,  with  Lieutenant  Chipp,  Ice-Pilot  Dunbar,  and  six  of  the 
crew ;  and  the  whale-boat,  Engineer  Melville  commanding.  Lieutenant 
Danenhower  (invalid),  and  eight  of  the  crew,  including  the  Chinese 
steward,  and  the  Indian,  Aneguin.  The  dimensions  of  the  second 
cutter  were  much  less  than  those  of  either  of  the  other  two  boats,  her 
extreme  length  being  but  sixteen  feet  three  inches,  while  that  of  the 
first  cutter  was  twenty  feet  four  inches,  and  of  the  whale-boat,  twenty- 
five  feet  four  inches.  Chipp's  cutter  was  also  a  very  bad  sea-boat,  and 
had  not  sufficient  carrying  capacity  for  a  full  allowance  of  provisions. 
The  first  cutter  had  the  greatest  carrying  capacity  of  the  three,  was 
fitted  with  mast  and  one  shifting  lug  sail,  pulled  six  oars,  and  was  an 
excellent  sea-boat.     The  depth  of  the  first  cutter  and  of  the  whale- 


THE   SEPAKATION.  403 

boat  from  top  of  gunwale  to  top  of  keel  was  two  feet  two  inches  ;  that 
of  the  second  cutter,  two  feet  six  inches.  The  whale-boat  was  one  of 
the  very  best  fastened  of  boats ;  each  was  clinker-built,  copper-fastened, 
inside  lining. 

The  draught  of  the  boats  when  loaded  (from  twenty-four  to  twenty- 
eight  inches),  was  caused  by  the  heavy  oak  keel  pieces  put  upon  them 
to  strengthen  them  for  hauling  over  the  ice.  Fitted  with  weather 
cloths,  at  the  date  of  September  11,  their  free  boards  were  about  twelve 
inches  above  water.  The  whale-boat  had  one  prismatic  compass,  and 
a  pocket  chronometer ;  the  second  cutter  had  the  same,  and  a  Bow- 
ditch  Navigator ;  and  the  first  cutter  a  box  and  a  pocket  chronometer, 
a  comparing  watch,  and  a  pair  of  binoculars.  Lieutenant  Chipp  also 
had  a  pair. 

FIRST  LAXDING. — NEW   SIBERIAN   ISLANDS. 

On  the  10th,  the  land  of  the  Asiatic  coast  was  in  sight,  estimated  to 
be  twenty  miles  westward ;  and  on  the  11th,  a  landing  was  made  and 
parties  sent  out  hunting.  An  old  deserted  hut  was  found,  and  human 
footprints  made  by  a  civilized  boot.  Lieutenant  Chipp  and  some  of 
his  sailors  visited  Melville's  camp,  and  reported  that  they  had  had  a 
very  rough  experience. 

September  12,  the  three  boats  left  Semenovski  Island  on  which 
the  party  had  camped,  at  about  8  a.m.,  and  remained  in  company 
till  noon,  dining  together.  A  gale  was  commencing  from  the  north- 
east, which  by  7  p.m,  forced  all  hands  in  the  whale-boat  to  be  pumping 
or  baling  out  water.  The  course  was  south-southwest,  true.  Captain 
DeLong  was  about  five  hundred  yards  distant  from  Melville,  and  Chipp 
seven  hundred  from  DeLong.  The  gale  increasing,  both  of  these  last 
were  lost  sight  of  by  the  whale-boat ;  the  first  cutter,  destined  to  land 
her  party  and  make  the  sad  experience  of  their  intense  suffering  to 
death  by  cold  and  starvation;  the  second  cutter  to  leave  no  record, 
but  the  blank  to  be  filled  by  the  reasonable  supposition  of  her  being 
swamped  by  the  sea ;  and  the  whale-boat  to  be  saved  only  by  the  suc- 
cessful use  of  a  drag  or  sea-anchor,  and  the  incessant  baling  by  almost 
exhausted  men. 


^ 

S 

"^ 

f 

<; 

ai 

'j~t 

c 

-) 

c 

:/5 

>< 

n 

u 

>^. 

c« 

13 

7) 

o 

< 

CL| 

.a 

72 

-<< 

<C 

c 

o 

r 

e 

a 

73 

o. 

^; 

•^ 

o 

^ 

'A 

Q 

& 

M 

STEERING   BY   THE   SUN   AND   MOON.  405 

THE   WHALE-BOAT. 

The  course  of  the  party  in  this  boat  will  be  first  traced.  Engineer 
Melville  was  in  command,  but  relied  on  the  professional  ability  of 
Lieutenant  Danenliower,  still  on  the  sick  list.  The  pocket  prismatic 
compass,  useful  on  shore  where  it  could  be  levelled  and  the  needle  come 
to  rest,  was  now  unavailable.  Steering  was  by  the  sun  or  the  moon. 
Lieutenant  Danenliower  carried  the  watch  and  chart,  and  could  shape 
the  course  of  the  boat  by  the  bearings  of  the  sun  at  this  equinoctial 
period.  September  15,  one  of  the  eastern  mouths  of  the  Lena  was 
entered,  and,  by  the  assistance  of  a  Tungus  pilot,  the  party  pushed 
up  the  river,  and  on  the  26th  reached  a  small  village,  in  which 
lived  a  Siberian  exile,  Kopelloff,  who  proved  very  useful  in  opening 
the  way  to  intercourse  by  teaching  the  Lieutenant  Russian  phrases. 
They  were  detained  at  this  place  waiting  for  the  growth  of  the  ice  for 
sledding,  and  while  another  Russian  exile,  Koosmah  Gerrymahoff,  with 
the  chief  of  the  village,  went  forward  to  Bulun  to  inform  the  Russian 
authorities  of  their  arrival. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  Danenhower  began  his  search  with  a  dog 
team,  to  explore  the  coasts  for  the  missing  boats,  but  was  unable, 
from  the  condition  of  the  ice,  to  proceed  far  in  any  direction,  and 
returned  without  results.  The  wide  river,  or  rather  bay,  which  sei> 
arated  Gemovialocke  from  the  main  land,  was  sometimes  covered  with 
young  ice,  too  thick  for  the  passage  of  boats,  and  too  thin  for  the 
passage  of  sledges,  and  at  times  was  filled  with  floating  masses  of  old 
ice ;  while  their  ignorance  of  the  language  left  them  unable  to  express 
their  wants,  or  to  discover  the  resources  of  the  vicinity  in  respect  to 
reindeer  or  dog  teams. 

On  the  29th  the  two  messengers  returned,  bringing  the  news  that 
on  their  way  back  they  had  met  natives  with  deer-sleds,  who  had  Nin- 
demann  and  Noros,  of  DeLong's  party,  conducting  them  to  Bulun. 
The  two  seamen  had  written  a  note,  stating  that  the  captain's  party 
were  starving,  and  needed  immediate  assistance.  Koosmah  communi- 
cated this  note  to  Engineer  Melville,  who  immediately  started  with  a 
native  and  dog  team,  to  find  the  men,  learn  the  position  of  the  Cap- 


406  AiVlERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

tain's  party,  and  carry  food  to  them.  Dnnenhower  was  ordered  to  take 
charge  of  the  party,  and  get  them  as  soon  as  possible  to  Bulun. 
November  1,  the  Bulun  commandant  brought  to  him  a  good  supply  of 
bread,  deer-meat,  and  tea,  and  a  document  addressed  by  Noros  and 
Nindemann  to  the  American  minister  at  St.  Petersburg ;  this  the 
Lieutenant  forwarded  by  Seaman  Bartlett  to  Melville,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  himself  started  forward,  overtaking  Melville  at  the  first  deer 
station.  He  received  from  him  orders  to  go  forward  to  Yakutsk, 
which  he  reached  December  17,  1881,  having  travelled  by  deer-sled 
nine  hundred  versts  (six  hundred  miles)  to  Verchoiansk,  and  thence, 
by  means  of  deer,  oxen,  and  horses,  the  remaining  nine  hundred  and 
sixty  versts. 

At  Yakutsk  Melville  received  the  first  dispatch  from  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy,  ordering  him  to  send  the  sick  and  frozen  to  a  milder 
climate ;  Lieutenant  Danenhower's  party  went  forward,  therefore,  to 
Irkoutsk.  Here,  being  advised  by  the  Russian  oculist  that  his  right 
eye  would  be  well  in  a  few  days,  he  telegraphed  to  the  Department, 
through  the  American  Legation  at  St.  Petersburg,  asking  permission 
to  hire  a  steamer,  and  search  for  Lieutenant  Chipp's  part}^  during  the 
spring  and  summer;  also  for  two  line  officers  to  assist.  He  re- 
ceived a  reply  through  the  Legation  that  two  officers  would  be  sent. 
The  entire  party  of  men  of  which  he  had  charge  volunteered  to  remain 
for  the  search,  six  of  them  being  in  excellent  condition ;  February  5, 
however,  he  received  further  orders  from  the  Navy  Department  that, 
owing  to  his  condition  of  health,  the  order  to  remain  and  search  for 
survivors  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  was  revoked.  The  oculist  allowing  him 
to  start  on  the  13th  of  March,  the  Lieutenant  went  forward  Avith  his 
men,  except  Seaman  Noros,  whom  he  had  been  ordered  by  a  subse- 
quent telegram  to  permit  to  accompany  Mr.  J.  P.  Jackson,  a  special 
messenger  sent  out  by  Mr.  Bennett  to  renew  search  on  the  Lena  delta. 

March  17,  Lieutenant  Danenhower  received  at  Nischnendinsk,  a 
telegram  from  Lieutenant  G.  B.  Harber,  U.  S.  N.,  who  had  been  sent 
out  by  the  Navy  Department  with  Master  W.  H.  Schuetze,  and  after 
full  conference  with  him,  turned  over  to  him  in  writing,  all  the  prin- 
cipal facts  and  details  concerning  the  missing  parties ;  also  the  clu-on- 


LAST  ENTRIES   IN   DkLONG'S   JOURNAL.  407 

ometer,  sextant,  and  other  instruments.  Lieutenant  Harber  obtained 
permission  from  the  Secretary  to  retain  the  enlisted  healthy  men  to 
assist  him  in  his  search,  and  on  the  23d  Danenhower  came  forward  to 
St.  Petersburg  which  he  reached  May  1,  having  been  detained  on  the 
road  by  a  light  attack  of  small-pox  in  the  ca^e  of  Tong  Sing.  With 
Mr.  Newcomb,  Cole,  and  the  Chinese,  he  arrived  in  New  York  City, 
June  1.  Cole  was  already  mentally  affected,  and  early  became  an  in- 
mate of  the  Government  Asylum  for  the  insane  in  Washington,  where 
he  still  remains.  The  rest  of  the  whale-boat  crew,  except  the  Indian, 
Aneguin,  who  died  of  small-pox  in  Russia,  and  Nindemann  and  Noros 
of  Captain  DeLong's  party,  arrived  in  the  United  States  previous  to  the 
12th  of  February,  1882. 

delong's  boat. 

The  sad  history  which  follows  is  derived  from  the  records  of  the 
Commander  up  to  his  last  feeble  entries  of  October  30,  and  from  the 
reports  of  Engineer  Melville  and  Lieutenant  Danenhower,  their  testi- 
mony before  the  Naval  Court  of  Inquiry,  and  that  of  the  seamen  Nin- 
demann, Noros,  and  Bartlett ;  the  first  two  of  these  three  being  the 
only  ones  saved  from  this  boat. 

The  Captain's  brief  journals  of  September,  1881,  record:  "At  9  p.m. 
Sept.  12,  lost  sight  of  whale-boat  ahead ;  at  10  P.  m.  lost  sight  of 
second  cutter  astern ;  wind  freshening  to  a  gale.  Step  of  mast  carried 
away ;  lowered  sail  and  rode  to  sea  anchor ;  very  heavy  sea,  and  hard 
squalls.     Barometer  falling  rapidly. 

"  13th,  very  heavy  northeast  gale.  ...  At  8  p.  m.  set  a  jury  sail  made 
of  a  sled  cover,  and  kept  the  boat  away  to  the  westward  before  the  sea ; 
—  17th,  grounded  at  a  few  hundred  yards,  landed  at  8  p.  m.  ;  dark  and 
snow  storm,  but  Collins  had  a  good  fire  going;  at  10.20  had  landed 
everything,  except  boat  oars,  mast,  sled,  and  alcohol  breakers;  —  18th, 
had  fires  going  all  the  time  to  dry  our  clothes,  we  must  look  our  situa- 
tion in  the  face,  and  prepare  to  walk  to  a  settlement. 

"September  19,  ordered  preparations  to  be  made  for  leaving  this 
place,  and  as  a  beginning,  all  sleeping  bags  are  to  be  left  behind.  Left 
in  instrument  box  a  record  portions  of  which  read  thus :  — 


408  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

"  Lena  Delta,  Sept.  19,  1881. 
"Landed  here  on  the  evening  of  the  17th,  and  will  proceed  this 
afternoon  to  try  and  reach,  with  God's  help,  a  settlement,  the  nearest 
of  which  I  believe  is  ninety-five  miles  distant.  We  are  all  well,  have 
four  days'  provisions,  arms  and  ammunition,  and  are  carrying  with  us 
only  ship's  books  and  papers,  with  blankets,  tents,  and  some  medicines, 
therefore,  our  chances  of  getting  through  seem  good.  ...  At  2.45 
went  ahead,  and  at  4.30  stopped  and  camped.  Loads  too  heavy  — 
men  used  up  —  Lee  groaning  and  complaining,  Erickson,  Boyd,  and 
Sam,  hobbling.  Three  rests  of  fifteen  minutes  each  of  no  use.  Road 
bad.  Breaking  through  thin  crust ;  occasionally  up  to  the  knees. 
Sent  Nindemann  back  with  Alexai  and  Dressier  to  deposit  log-books. 

.  .  .  Every  one  of  us  seems  to  have  lost  all  feeling  in  his  toes,  and 
some  of  us  even  half  way  up  the  feet.  That  terrible  week  in  the  boat 
has  done  us  great  injury;  opened  our  last  can  of  pemmican,  and  so  cut 
it  that  it  must  suffice  for  four  days'  food,  then  we  are  at  the  end  of  our 
provisions  and  must  eat  the  dog  (the  last  of  the  forty)  unless  Provi- 
dence sends  something  in  our  way.     When  the  dog  is  eaten ?     I 

was  much  impressed  and  derive  great  encouragement  from  an  accident  of 
last  Sunday.  Our  Bible  got  soaking  wet,  and  I  had  to  read  the  Epistle 
and  Gospel  from  my  prayer-book.  According  to  my  rough  calculation 
it  must  have  been  the  fifteenth  Sunday  after  Trinity,  and  the  Gospel 
contained  some  promises  which  seemed  peculiarly  adapted  to  our  con- 
dition.    (The  passage  is  in  Matthew  v.  24). 

'  "  September  21,  at  3.30  came  to  a  bend  in  the  river  making  south, 
and  to  our  surprise  two  huts,  one  seemingly  new.  At  9  p.  m.  a  knock 
outside  the  hut  was  heard  and  Alexai  said,  '  Captain,  we  have  got  two 
reindeer,'  and  in  he  came  bearing  a  hind  quarter  of  meat.  September 
24,  commenced  preparations  for  departure  from  the  hut  at  seven  o'clock. 

...  At  10  p.  M.  made  a  rough  bed  of  a  few  logs  !  wrapped  our  blankets 
around  us  and  sought  a  sleep  that  did  not  come ;  27th,  made  tea  at 
daylight,  and  at  5.05  had  our  breakfast  —  four-fourteenths  of  a  pound  of 
pemmican.  ...  At  9.45  five  men  arrived  in  camp,  bringing  a  fine  buck. 
Saved  again ! !  September  30,  one  hundred  and  tenth  day  from  leaving 
the  ship,  Erickson  is  no  better,  and  it  is  a  foregone  conclusion  that  he 


—   3 


O     3 


-      fe! 


—       M 


-^       3 


410  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

must  lose  four  of  the  toes  of  his  right  foot,  and  one  of  his  left.  The 
doctor  commenced  slicing  away  the  flesh  after  breakfast,  fortunately 
without  pain  to  the  patient,  for  the  forward  part  of  the  foot  is  dead : 
but  it  was  a  heart-rending  sight  to  me,  the  cutting  away  of  bones  and 
flesh  of  a  man  whom  I  hoped  to  return  sound  and  whole  to  his  friends. 
October  1,  the  doctor  resumed  the  cutting  of  poor  Erickson's  toes  this 
morning,  only  one  toe  left  now.  And  where  are  we?  I  think  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Lena  River  at  last.  My  chart  is  simply  useless.  Left 
a  record  in  the  hut  that  we  are  proceeding  to  cross  to  the  west  side  to 
reach  some  settlement  on  the  Lena  River.  October  3,  nothing  remains 
but  the  dog.  I  therefore  ordered  him  killed  and  dressed  by  Iverson, 
and  soon  after  a  kind  of  stew  made  of  such  parts  as  could  not  be  carried, 
of  which  everybody,  except  the  doctor  and  myself,  eagerly  partook,  to 
us  it  was  a  nauseating  mess.  .  .  .  Erickson  soon  became  delirious,  and 
his  talking  was  a  horrible  accompaniment  to  the  wretchedness  of  our 
surroundings.  During  the  night  got  his  gloves  off;  his  hands  were 
frozen.  At  8  A.  m.  got  Erickson  (quite  unconscious)  and  lashed  on  the 
sled  under  the  cover  of  a  hut,  made  a  fire  and  got  warm.  .  .  .  Half  a 
pound  of  dog  was  fried  for  each  one,  and  a  cup  of  tea  given,  and 'that 
constituted  our  day's  food.  At  8.45  A.M.,  our  messmate,  Erickson, 
departed  this  life.  October  6,  as  to  burying  him  I  cannot  dig  a 
grave,  the  ground  is  frozen,  and  I  have  nothing  to  dig  with.  There 
is  nothing  to  do  but  to  bury  him  in  the  river.  Sewed  him  up  in 
the  flaps  of  the  tent,  and  covered  him  with  my  flag.  Got  tea  ready, 
and  with  one-half  ounce  alcohol,  we  will  try  to  make  out  to  bury  Jiim. 
But  we  are  all  so  weak  that  I  do  not  see  how  we  are  going  to  move. 

"At  12.40  P.M.  read  the  burial  service,  and  carried  our  departed 
shipmate's  body  down  to  the  river,  where,  a  hole  having  been  cut  in 
the  ice,  he  was  buried ;  three  volleys  from  our  two  Remingtons  being 
fired  over  him  as  a  funeral  honor. 

A  board  was  prepared  with  this  cut  on  it :  — 

In  Memory, 
H.  H.  Ekickson, 

Oct.  6th,  1881. 
U.  S.  S.  Jeannette. 


delong's  death.  411 

And  this  will  be  stuck  in  the  river  bank  abreast  his  grave.  His  cloth- 
ing was  divided  up  among  his  messmates.  Iverson  has  his  Bible  and 
a  lock  of  his  hair.  Kaack  has  a  lock  of  his  hair.  .  .  .  Supper,  5  P.  m., 
half  pound  dog  meat  and  tea.  October  9,  sent  Nindemann  and  Noros 
ahead  for  relief;  they  carry  their  blankets,  one  rifle,  forty  pounds 
ammunition,  two  ounces  alcohol.  .  .  .  Under  way  again  at  10.30,  had 
for  dinner  one  ounce  of  alcohol.  Alexai  shot  three  ptarmigan.  Find 
canoe,  lay  our  heads  on  it  and  go  to  sleep. 

•'10th,  eat  deer-skin  scraps.  .  .  .  Ahead  again  till  eleven.  At  three 
halted,  used  up.  Crawled  into  a  hole  on  the  bank.  Nothing  for  supper, 
except  a  spoonful  of  glycerine.  17th,  Alexai  died,  covered  him  with 
ensign,  and  laid  him  in  a  crib.  21st,  one  hundred  and  thirty-first  day, 
Kaack  was  found  dead  at  midnight.  Too  weak  to  carry  the  bodies  out 
on  the  ice  ;  the  doctor,*  Collins,  and  I  carried  them  around  the  corner 
out  of  sight.  Then  my  eye  closed  up.  Sunday,  October  23,  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-third  day  —  everybody  pretty  weak  —  slept  or  rested 
all  day,  then  managed  to  get  enough  wood  in  before  dark.  Read  part 
of  divine  service.     Suffering  in  our  feet.     No  foot  gear. 

"Monday,  Oct.  24,  one  hundred  and  thirty-fourth  day.  A  hard 
night. 

"  Tuesday,  Oct.  25,  one  hundred  and  thirty-fifth  day.    No  record. 

"  Wednesday,  Oct.  26,  one  hundred  and  thirty-sixth  day.    No  record. 

"Thursday,  Oct.  27,  one  hundred  and  thirty-seventh  day.  Iver- 
son broke  down. 

"  Friday,  Oct.  28,  one  hundred  and  thirty-eighth  day.  Iverson  died 
during  early  morning. 

"Saturday,  Oct.  29,  one  hundred  and  thirty-ninth  day.  Dressier 
died  during  the  night. 

"  Sunday,  Oct.  30,  one  hundred  and  fortieth  day.  Boyd  and  Gortz 
died  during  the  night.     Mr.  Collins  dying." 

The  preceding  brief  extracts  from  this  saddest  of  all  journals  tell 
the  story  of  the  first  cutter,  excepting  that  of  the  two  saved,  Ninde- 
mann and  Noros.  The  Captain,  the  Surgeon,  and  the  last  one  of  tlie 
crew  must  have  perished  almost  immediately  after  the  last  one  of  their 
comrades. 


412  AMEEICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

THE  JOURNEY   OF   NINDEMANN   AND   NOROS. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  Seaman  Nindemann,  DeLong,  on  the 
9th  of  October,  had  called  him  aside  and  said  to  him :  "  I  think  you 
have  to  go  only  about  twelve  miles  to  a  settlement  called  Ku-mark- 
surka,  and  you  and  Noros  can  make  it  in  three  days,  or  at  the  longest, 
four.  Do  the  best  you  can ;  if  you  find  assistance  come  back  as  quick 
as  possible  ;  and  if  you  do  not,  you  are  as  well  off  as  we  are." 

The  two  men  started  off  with  three  cheers  from  their  comrades,  and 
a  copy  of  the  captain's  chart,  by  which  he  worked.  On  their  first  day 
they  killed  one  ptarmigan  ;  on  the  second,  failing  to  secure  a  deer  they 
made  a  supper  on  a  boot  sole  soaked  in  water  and  burned  to  a  crust, 
with  some  Arctic  willow  tea ;  on  the  morning  of  the  eleventh,  they 
again  started  on  their  way  South,  and  at  12  m.  stopped  to  make  use  of 
some  of  the  alcohol,  but  on  finding  that  the  bottle  in  their  pocket 
had  been  broken,  dined  on  another  boot  sole  with  Arctic  willow  tea,  and 
supped  upon  some  deer  bones  that  were  burned  in  a  hut.  On  the  12th 
they  were  somewhat  more  fortunate,  for  on  gathering  some  drift-wood, 
Noros  looking  into  the  hole  beneath  it  drew  out  two  fishes,  and  Ninde- 
mann caught  a  lemming.  The  day  following,  having  nothing  to  eat,  a 
piece  of  seal-skin  pants  was  cut  off,  soaked  in  water  and  burned  to  a 
crust,  and  on  like  food  they  subsisted  until  the  20th,  when  they  found 
in  a  kayak  near  another  hut,  fishes  enough  to  keep  them  alive  for  some 
days  ;  they  were  becoming  very  weak  by  dysentery. 

On  the  22d,  looking  through  the  crack  of  the  hut  in  which  they 
were  resting,  they  saw  a  native  who,  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day, 
returned  with  others,  and  putting  the  two  men  on  deer  sleighs,  drove 
with  them  until  midnight  to  their  tents,  into  which  they  took  the  two 
seamen  and  fed  them.  The  natives,  after  securing  a  number  of  deer, 
carried  the  two  further  forward,  and,  after  learning  from  them,  by  the 
assistance  of  a  tall  Russian,  that  they  wished  to  be  carried  to  Bulun, 
the  most  northern  Russian  settlement  in  Siberia,  landed  them  at  that 
place  on  the  29th.  Here  Noros  wrote,  at  Nindemann's  dictation,  a 
letter  to  the  American  minister  at  St.  Petersburg,  informing  him  of  the 
condition  of  DeLong  and  his  party.     November  3,  the  two  men  heard 


THE   LOG-BOOKS   FOUND.  413 

the  door  of  their  hut  in  Biilun  open,  and  the  voice  of  Engineer  Melville, 
who  exclaimed,  "Noros,  are  you  alive?"  They  gave  him  all  the  details 
from  the  time  they  had  landed.  The  engineer  made  himself  a  chart  on 
which  were  marked  the  huts  they  had  found  and  their  route  as  well  as 
they  could  tell  it,  in  order  for  his  immediate  arrangements  to  search  for 
DeLong  and  his  party.  The  telegram  which  the  men  had  intended  to  be 
sent  to  the  American  Minister  had  been  addressed  by  the  commandant 
at  Bulun  to  Engineer  Melville,  as  to  one  far  nearer  than  St.  Petersburg. 
Both  the  seamen  were  now  very  sick  from  exhaustion  and  dysentery 
caused  by  eating  decayed  fish. 


MELVILLE  S   SEARCH. 

Engineer  Melville  immediately  forwarded  three  telegrams :  one  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  a  second  to  the  U.  S.  Minister  at  St. 
Petersburg,  and  the  third  to  Mr.  J.  G.  Bennett  at  Paris.  The  first 
telegram,  sent  by  Government  couriers  the  long  journey  to  Irkutsk, 
was  received  there  by  American  Charg^  Hoffmann  December  22,  and 
by  Secretary  Hunt  at  Washington  the  day  following.  The  Secretary 
immediately  replied  as  follows :  — 

"Omit  no  effort.  Spare  no  expense  in  securing  safety  of  men  in 
second  cutter.  Let  the  ^ick  and  the  frozen  of  those  already  rescued 
have  every  attention,  and  as  soon  as  practicable  have  them  transferred 
to  milder  climate.     Department  will  supply  necessary  funds." 

The  U.  S.  Charge  at  St.  Petersburg  had  also  telegraphed  to  Mel- 
ville that  his  dispatch  to  the  Navy  Department  had  been  forwarded. 

After  sending  the  dispatch,  Melville  pushed  his  search  to  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  Lena  Delta.  Leaving  Burulak  November 
5,  with  two  dog  teams,  two  natives,  and  food  for  ten  days,  he  visited 
some  of  the  huts  spoken  of  by  Nindemann  and  Noros,  and  on  re- 
ceiving from  some  native  hunters  some  of  the  records  left  b}^  Cap- 
tain DeLong,  and,  learning  from  these  papers  where  he  had  left 
the  log-books,  chronometers,  and  other  abandoned  articles,  found 
the  cache  which  was  marked  by  a  tall  flag-staff  on  the  ocean  shore, 
and  secured  the  logs   and    other   things.     A    further   diligent  search 


414  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

of  three  weeks,  made  with  great  suffering  and  exposure,  revealed^ 
however,  nothing  of  the  missing  party;  nor  had  the  natives  heard 
of  them  at  any  of  their  settlements.  Nindemann  had  expressed  his 
conviction  that  all  must  have  perished ;  it  was  now  matter  of  painful 
but  irresistible  conclusions.  Melville  could  hope  to  do  no  more  until 
the  season  opened  and  until  full  arrangements  could  be  made  for  the 
necessary  supplies,  and  for  the  orders  to  subordinates  which  should  be 
issued  by  the  Russian  authorities.  This  could  not  be  accomplished  at 
Bulun.     He  went  forward  to  Yakutsk,  arriving  there  December  30. 

January  10,  1882,  he  sent  forward  the  logs  and  papers  in  charge  of 
Lieutenant  Danenhower,  and  pushed  his  preparations  for  the  renewed 
search  under  the  orders  from  the  Navy  Department  now  received. 

March  16,  accompanied  by  Seamen  Nindemann  and  Bartlett,  the 
latter  of  whom  had  picked  up  some  Russian,  he  found  the  hut  where 
DeLong  and  his  comrades  had  slept  before  crossing  the  river;  and  on 
the  23d  found  not  the  living  but 


THE  DEAD   TEN. 

Four  poles  lashed  together  and  projecting  out  two  feet  from  the  snow- 
drift, pointed  to  their  resting-place.  The  muzzle  of  a  Remington  rifle 
also  stood  above  the  snow  bank  eight  inches,  its  strap  hitched  over  the 
poles.  A  few  hundred  yards  further  were  the  three  bodies  of  Captain 
DeLong,  Surgeon  Ambler,  and  Ah  Sam,  the  Chinese  cook.  Alongside 
of  DeLong  was  his  note -book  with  the  last  feebly  written  lines  which 
have  been  cited  ;  under  the  poles  were  the  books  and  records  with 
which  the  conscientious  care  of  the  commander  had  too  heavily- 
loaded  himself  and  party.  Alexai's  body  was  searched  for  in  vain ; 
DeLong's  Journal  showed  that  he  died  in  the  flat  boat.  It  is  probable 
that  the  remains  of  the  native  were  borne  by  the  flood  into  the  Lena. 
Erickson,  as  has  been  stated,  had  been  buried  by  DeLong  in  the  river. 

The  natives  with  Melville  were  at  first  afraid  to  break  the  bodies 
out  of  the  snow  bank ;  they  were  frozen  to  the  ground,  and  it  required 
prying  with  sticks  of  wood  to  get  them  up.  The  Captain's  left  arm 
had  been  seen  sticking  up  out  of  the  snow. 


THE  CROSS. 


415 


Nindemann,  with  Bartlett,  under  Melville's  direction  took  everything 
from  the  bodies,  tying  up  each  parcel  separately  in  handkerchiefs  found 
upon  them,  the  only  exception  to  the  bringing  away  of  which  for  their 
friends,  being  a  bronze  crucifix  found  upon  the  person  of  Mr.  Collins, 
which,  by  Melville's  orders,  was  replaced  in  the  bosom  of  his  shirt,  to 
be  buried  with  him.     After  much  further  digging  in  the   snow,  and 


IN    MEMORY 

OF   12  OF 

THE 

OFFICERS  AND 

MEN 

OF 

THE   ARC! 

■|C   STEAMER    "JEANNETTE,"      1 

WHO    DIED  OF  STARVATION 

IN   THE    LENA   DELTA,  OCTOBER,    1881. 

LIEUTENANT 

G.  W.  DeLONG. 

Dr.  J.  M.  AMBLER. 

J.  J.  COLLINS. 

W.  LEE. 

A.  GORTZ. 

A.  DRESSLER. 

H.  H.  ERICKSON. 

G.  W.  BOYD. 

, 

N.  IVERSON. 

H.  H.  KAACK. 

ALEXAI. 

AH  SAM. 

finding  a  number  of  other  small  articles,  Melville  had  all  the  bodies 
carried  over  the  mountain  to  the  southward  of  Mat-Vai,  where,  on  a 
high  bluff,  a  tomb  had  been  prepared,  and  a  box  to  hold  the  bodies. 
They  were  arranged  side  by  side,  DeLong,  Ambler,  Collins,  and  the 
others  in  regular  rotation,  as  their  names  were  cut  on  a  vertical  portion 
of  a  cross  placed  over  the  tomb. 

The  tomb  itself  was  covered  with  seven-inch  plank  its  whole 
length,  and  the  cross  shored  with  diagonal  braces  to  the  edge  of  the 
box,  a  regular  pyramid  being  built  over  the  tomb,  which  was  covered 


416  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZpNES. 

with  rough  stones,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  pounds 
at  the  l^ase,  with  small  pieces  at  the  top  and  sides.  The  cross  arm  was 
hoisted  into  its  place,  and  keyed  by  Nindemann  with  a  large  wooden 
key  to  keep  it  in  place.  The  cross  was  twenty-two  feet  high,  the  arm 
twelve  feet  in  length.  Upon  it  was  the  inscription  shown  on  the  pre- 
ceding page. 

Arrangements  were  subsequently  made  at  Yakutsk  to  have  the 
entire  cairn  covered  with  a  deep  layer  of  earth,  to  prevent  the  possi- 
bility of  the  sun  thawing  the  bodies  therein.  General  Tchernaieff  also 
caused  a  Russian  inscription  to  be  prepared,  to  be  placed  on  the  tomb, 
and  directed  that  every  care  should  be  taken  to  preserve  the  tomb  and 
the  monument  in  good  condition.  "Standing  as  they  do  on  an  emi- 
nence, they  are  conspicuous  objects,  and  may  be  seen  at  a  distance  of 
twenty  miles."     (^Mr.  NewcomVs  Narrative.') 


THE  SEARCH  FOR   CHIPP. 

During  the  first  week  of  April,  Engineer  Melville's  party,  having 
completed  the  burial  of  the  bodies,  were  put  upon  the  search  for  the 
second  cutter,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Chipp.  Nindemann 
and  Bartlett  were  sent  to  Cape  Barkin,  from  which  point  one  of  them 
examined  the  sea-coast  of  the  Delta  southward  as  far  as  Jamavaeloch, 
working  also  into  the  mouths  of  the  rivers;  the  other  followed  the 
north  coast  of  Siberia  to  the  river  Osoktok,  along  which  DeLong  and 
his  party  came.  Their  orders  were  executed  in  the  most  thorough 
manner,  but  no  trace  of  the  second  cutter  was  found.  The  first  cutter 
was  found  where  she  had  been  abandoned  in  the  ice  of  the  ocean,  filled 
with  water,  frozen  in,  and  badly  stove. 

Melville  searched  the  coast  line  west  to  the  deserted  village  of 
Chancer,  thence  across  the  peninsula,  down  the  river  Alanack  to  the 
ocean ;  along  the  coast,  in  and  out  of  all  the  bays  to  the  northwest 
point  of  the  Delta,  and  thence  along  the  north  coast ;  completing  the 
coast-wise  search  for  the  second  cutter,  by  a  still  further  search  to  the 
river  Jana. 


418  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

The  sledging  season  was  now  at  an  end.  He  was  detained  on  the 
mountains  by  the  melting  of  the  snows,  but  reached  Yakutsk  June  8. 
Hearing  here  that  Lieutenant  Harber  had  found  it  impossible  to  char- 
ter at  fair  rates  the  expected  steamer  for  the  Lena,  and  was  making 
other  preparations  for  his  summer  search,  but  prevented  from  meeting 
him,  Melville  sent  Bartlett  to  report  for  duty  under  the  Lieutenant, 
and  sent  with  him  a  track  chart  of  the  search  already  made  on  the 
Delta.  From  Irkutsk  Melville  began  his  home  journey  with  Ninde- 
mann  and  Noros,  arriving  in  New  York  September  13,  1882. 


FURTHER   SEARCH. 

Lieutenant  Harber  and  Lieutenant  Schuetze  had  arrived  in  St. 
Petersburg  February  20.  Here  they  received  special  assistance  from 
"General  Ignatieff,  the  Governor-General  of  Siberia,  and  United  States 
Charg^  Hoffman.  On  arriving  at  Nijni  Ujinsk,  on  the  way  to  Irkutsk, 
and  meeting  with  Lieutenant  Danenhower's  home  party,  they  received, 
by  permission  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  as  volunteers  in  the 
further  search  for  Chipp,  Seamen  Leach,  Wilson,  Mansen,  Lauder- 
back,  and  the  Indian,  Aneguin.  Noros  had  before  this  gone  back 
with  Mr.  Jackson,  special  agent  sent  out  by  Mr.  Bennett  from 
Paris.  Harber  during  the  month  of  May  went  down  the  river  to 
Viska  in  a  chartered  steamer,  but  found  the  vessel  unfit  for  the  object 
in  view,  and  consequently  secured  others  by  reconstructing  a  pur- 
chased boat  and  building  two  dories.  June  11  he  was  prepared  to 
search  the  Delta. 

In  his  report  of  November  29,  1882,  Secretary  Chandler  states  that 
Harber  and  Schuetze  had  prosecuted  the  search  with  energy,  but  had 
not  succeeded  in  getting  any  intelligence  of  Lieutenant  Chipp's  party. 

PREPARING  TO  BRING  THE  BODIES  HOME. 

The  latest  information  received  from  Russia  nearly  at  the  date  of 
this  writing,  is  furnished  in  the  following  letters  —  an  unhappy  closing 
of  the  record  of  the  voyage  of  the  "  Jeannette."     It  will  be  seen  from 


harber's  journey.  419 

Lieutenant  Harber's  first  letter  that  no  fond  hopes  of  recognition  of  the 
lost  ones  can  be  now  indulged,  although  such  hopes  were  justly  con- 
ceived perhaps  in  the  breasts  of  the  bereaved  by  the  conditions  of  the 
climate  and  the  careful  entombment  secured  by  Engineer  Melville. 

"  Ibkutsk,  Siberia,  June  23,  1883. 
"  Hon.  W.  E.  Chandler,  Secretary  of  the  Navy.,  Washington^  D.  C 

"  Sir, — I  have  the  honor  to  report  as  follows  concerning  the  removal 
of  the  bodies  of  Lieutenant-Commanding  DeLong  and  party. 

"  The  requisite  permission  to  remove  these  bodies  was  not  received 
at  Yakutsk  until  January  25,  and  on  the  26th  I  started  north  with  Mr. 
Schuetze  and  a  Cossack  interpreter.  Before  starting  we  were  distinctly 
informed  that  we  could  have  no  assistance  from  the  Government,  and 
in  fact  throughout  the  journey  to  Mat-Vai  and  return  we  received 
none. 

"  We  encountered  many  difficulties,  but  they  did  not  prove  serious ; 
merely  delayed  us  a  few  days. 

"  The  natives  were  glad  to  furnish  both  reindeer  and  dogs,  and  for 
their  use  charged  little  more  than  the  Government  rates. 

"  Li  travelling  four  thousand  versts  (two  thousand  six  hundred  and 
sixty-seven  miles)  with  deer,  but  two  animals  died,  apparently  from 
exhaustion,  and  these  were  paid  for ;  no  dogs  were  in  any  way  injured. 
I  mention  this  to  answer  the  objections  to  the  journey  made  by  the 
authorities  before  the  permission  was  granted. 

"  We  reached  Bulun  February  20,  an'd  Beemoviolach  February  22. 
We  were  detained  here  four  days  by  a  severe  gale,  but  at  its  close  at 
once  proceeded  to  Mat-Vai,  reaching  it  March  1.  On  the  2d  we  went 
to  the  tomb,  removed  the  bodies,  rebuilt  the  tomb,  and,  returning  to 
Mat-Vai,  prepared  for  the  return  trip. 

"Learning  from  the  telegrams  of  the  Department,  through  our 
minister  at  St.  Petersburg,  that  the  caskets  now  at  Orenburg  were  not 
to  be  forwarded,  and  being  informed  by  the  Governor  that  the  caskets 
were  a  necessity,  whether  the  bodies  were  to  be  transported  in  winter 
or  in  summer,  I  made  arrangements  with  the  Government  physician 
for  properly  preserving  the  bodies  in  their  frozen  condition  during  the 


420  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

summer  months,  and  leaving  Mr.  Schuetze  to  see  these  arrange- 
ments carried  out,  I  set  out  for  Irkutsk  to  obtain  materials  for  the 
caskets. 

"I  was  told  in  Yakutsk  that  the  law  required  sheet-lead  for  the 
lining,  and  hence  expected  to  go  to  Russia  for  this  material.  However, 
I  found  in  this  city  sheets  of  pure  tin,  and  obtained  permission  of  the 
Governor  to  use  this  material  for  the  temporary  caskets,  the  bodies  to 
be  transferred  to  the  ones  in  Orenburg  on  our  arrival.  All  necessary 
articles  were  forwarded  when  the  river  broke  up  last  March.  As  soon 
as  the  road  opens  in  November,  I  will  proceed  home  with  the  bodies. 
If  no  unforeseen  difficulties  appear,  I  should  reach  Orenburg  between 
January  30  and  February  1,  1884.  The  bodies  are  much  decayed,  and 
recognition  impossible. 

"  Before  Ensign  Hunt  and  party  left  me,  I  obtained  from  James 
Bartlett,  fireman,  a  description  of  each  body,  its  position,  dress,  etc., 
as  it  was  when  last  seen.  This  description  was  found  to  be  so  exact 
that  no  difficulty  or  doubt  occurred  in  their  identification,  and  each 
was  carefully  marked  as  it  came  from  the  tomb. 

"  There  will  be  some  difficulty  in  straightening  the  limbs  in  conse- 
quence of  the  amount  of  decay  which  occurred  last  summer,  but  the 
surgeon  tells  me  it  can  be  done. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  "  Giles  B.  Harder, 

«  U.  S.  Navyr 

Lieutenant  Harber's  second  letter,  received  at  Washington  Nov. 
14,  1883,  reads  :  — 

"Yakutsk,  Aug,  24,  1883. 
"  Hon.  Wm.  E.  Chandler,  Secretary  of  the  Navy  : 

"Sir,  —  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  the  Department  that  after  fur- 
nishing materials  for  temporary  caskets,  and  drawing  ten  thousand 
rubles  from  our  Minister  at  St.  Petersburg,  I  have  returned  to  Yakutsk. 
I  find  that  after  our  departure  for  Kitach  last  October,  a  pocket-knife 
marked  '  J.  Q.  A.  Zeigler,'  and  a  spoon,  were  found  on  the  route  taken 
by  DeLong,  and  brought  to  the  Russian  Meteorological  Station  near 


THE  TEN   AT   IRKUTSK.  421 

Kitach,  and  by  Lieutenant  Gurgens  forwarded  to  Governor  Tchernaieff. 
They  will  be  brought  home.  It  is  evident  they  belonged  to  DeLong's 
party. 

"  Aneguin  having  died  of  a  contagious  disease,  his  body  of  course  can- 
not be  brought  home.  On  our  way  north,  I  stopped  at  Kernisok,  and 
visited  his  grave,  and  left  instructions  to  have  it  suitably  marked  in 
accordance  with  a  sketch  which  I  have  forwarded  from  this  place.  The 
Assistant  Ipravnik  kindly  offered  to  see  my  instructions  carried  out. 
"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"Giles  B.  Harber." 

The  letter  which  follows,  written  by  an  "occasional  correspondent" 
of  the  New  York  Tribune  (probably  by  one  of  Lieutenant  Harber's 
party)  furnishes  material  of  much  interest,  and  explains  some  points 
not  embraced  in  the  brief  official  letters  which  have  been  quoted. 

*'  St.  Petersbuhg,  Nov.  10. 

"  A  year  ago  last  February  Lieutenant  Giles  B.  Hai-ber  and  Lieutenant  W.  H. 
Schuetze,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  left  this  city  on  their  way  to  the  Lena  Delta  to 
search  for  Lieutenant  Chipp  and  the  other  missing  men  of  the  "  Jeannette."  About 
the  middle  of  this  month,  the  weather  permitting,  they  will  leave  Yakutsk  on  their 
long  journey  homeward  with  the  remains  of  Lieutenant-Commander  George  W. 
DeLong,  captain  of  the  'Jeannette,'  and  the  ten  men  who  died  with  him  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Lena  in  1881. 

A   LONG  DELAY  IN  SECURING   COFFINS. 

"When  Lieutenant  Harber  returned  to  Yakutsk  on  Nov.  29, 1882,  from  the  Lena 
Delta,  without  any  news  of  the  missing  men,  he  found  awaiting  him  oi'ders  to  take 
home  the  remains  of  DeLong  and  his  companions.  The  bodies  could  not  be  removed 
from  the  tomb  Chief  Engineer  Melville  built  —  near  Mat  Vai  —  without  permission 
from  the  Russian  Minister  of  the  Interior,  and  this  was  not  received  by  Mr.  Harber 
until  Jan.  25.  1883.  While  waiting  nearly  two  months  for  authority  to  i-emove  the 
bodies  he  made  all  preparations  to  start  northward  again  without  delay,  and  on 
January  20,  he  and  Mr.  Schuetze  left  Yakutsk  for  the  Delta.  They  accomplished 
their  task  successfully  and  returned  to  Yakutsk  on  March  29,  only  to  discover  that 
they  must  remain  almost  a  year  longer  in  Siberia.  The  report  current  at  the  time 
was  that  the  United  States  Government  had  instructed  them  to  take  the  bodies  home 
in  the  winter  season,  so  that  they  might  be  transported  frozen.  If  such  an  order  was 
given,  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  necessary,  for  with  suiuible  coflSns  the  bodies 
could  have  been  brought  to  Russia  without  'lelay.     Such  coffins,  however,  were  not 


422  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

to  be  had  in  Yakutsk,  and  for  some  reason  the  metallic  ones  sent  from  the  United 
States  had  not  been  forwarded  to  that  city.  These  coffins  not  being  in  Yakutsk,  a 
large  portion  of  the  delay  since  last  March  has  been  unavoidable.  When  Mr.  Harber 
found  that  the  Russian  law  would  not  permit  the  removal  of  the  bodies  at  any  season 
of  the  year  except  in  air-tight  coffins,  and  that  these  could  not  be  obtained  in 
Yakutsk,  he  at  once  journeyed  to  Irkutsk,  to  obtain  permission  from  the  Governor- 
General  to  use  pure  tin  or  some  other  suitable  material  as  a  lining  to  ordinary 
coffins.  In  this  way  he  hoped  to  make  coffins  that  would  come  within  tlie  pro- 
visions of  the  law  and  serve  until  the  bodies  could  be  transferred  to  the  metallic  ones 
sent  from  New  Yoi'k.  But  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  obtain  permission  to  do  this, 
and  it  was  not  until  late  in  July  that  he  was  able  to  leave  Irkutsk  for  Yakutsk,  with 
authority  to  make  the  temporary  coffins,  and  the  necessary  materials.  The  coffins 
were  completed  in  good  time,  but  he  was  compelled  to  wait  a  little  while  longer  for 
the  Lena  to  freeze  over  before  he  could  start  on  the  homeward  journey.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  neither  man  nor  weather  will  throw  any  further  obstacles  in  his  way,  and 
that  he  will  soon  be  able  to  leave  Yakutsk.  If  he  is  favored  with  good  weather  and 
has  reasonable  aid  in  his  journey,  he  will  reach  New  York  some  time  in  February. 

A  MID-WINTER  TRIP  TO  THE    LENA   DELTA. 

"  When  Lieutenant  Harber  received  permission  to  remove  the  bodies  of  DeLong 
and  his  men  from  the  tomb,  he  started,  as  has  been  stated  above,  immediately  for 
the  Lena  Delta.  He  left  Yakutsk  with  Mr.  Schuetze  and  a  Cossack,  taking  with  him 
a  train  of  six  sleds,  three  of  which  were  loaded  with  provisions,  materials  for  con- 
structing new  sleds,  and  felt  in  Avhich  to  wrap  the  bodies.  He  started  northward  a 
year  and  five  days  after  Chief  Engineer  Melville  began  his  journey  to  search  for 
DeLong.  Last  year  the  Government  had  the  entire  road  prepared  for  Mr.  Melville, 
deer  being  held  for  him  at  every  station,  and  after  leaving  Verchoyansk  he  was 
fortunate  enough  to  have  the  personal  assistance  of  the  Ispravnik.  The  Government 
gave  Melville  all  the  assistance  possible,  because  he  was  upon  an  errand  of  mercy. 
But  the  removal  of  the  bodies  was  a  diflTerent  matter,  and  in  such  a  case  the  local 
officials  had  no  authority  to  lend  a  helping  hand.  Mr.  Harber  was  permitted  to 
make  the  journey,  but  he  had  to  depend  entirely  upon  his  own  resources. 

"  In  going  from  Yakutsk  to  the  month  of  the  Lena  in  the  winter,  the  valley  of 
that  river  is  not  followed.  A  shorter  and  better  route  is  obtained  by  going  north- 
ward across  the  Aldan  River,  over  the  Verchoyansk  Mountains  and  then  down  the 
valley  of  the  Jana  River,  to  the  eastward  of  the  Lena.  Mr.  Harber  followed  the 
same  route  that  Melville  took,  except  that  he  was  obliged  to  travel  much  further, 
going  to  the  mouth  of  the  Omalvi  and  then  to  Bulun,  while  the  last  four  hundred 
versts  of  Melville's  journey  were  over  the  direct  road  to  Bulun.  Melville,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  Government,  made  the  northward  journey  in  twelve  working  days ; 
Harber,  without  the  aid  of  the  Government,  made  it  in  twenty-three  days.  Harber's 
entire  journey  occupied  sixty  and  one-half  working  days,  and  when  he  returned  to 
Yakutsk  on  March  29,  the  officials  were  surprised  at  the  good  time  made  and  the 
successful  transportation  of  the  bodies. 


THE  DEER-TRAIN.  ,  423 


DRIVEN   FROM   THE   PASS   BY   AN   ARCTIC    GALE. 

"  This  road  is  probably  the  steepest  travelled  one  known,  and  its  passage  is 
rendered  more  difficult  by  the  frequent  high  winds.  On  approaching  the  pass,  Lieu- 
tenant Harber's  party  had  fine  weather,  the  day  being  clear  and  calm,  and  the  ther- 
mometer at  —  30°  F.  As  the  train  drew  nearer  to  the  pass,  however,  a  light  air  was 
felt.  The  deer-drivers  did  not  appear  to  like  it,  but  the  train  moved  on.  The  wind 
grew  stronger  gradually  as  the  ti'ain  moved  on,  and  when  the  party  emerged  from 
the  woods  near  the  foot  of  the  steepest  part  of  the  pass  it  was  met  by  a  gale  from  the 
north.  The  wind  was  not  only  strong,  but  it  was  intensely  cold.  The  deer  could 
not  face  it,  and  the  party  was  compelled  to  turn  back  and  travel  nearly  all  night  to 
the  nearest  shelter,  a  powarni,  or  cooking-house,  on  the  south  side  of  the  mountains. 
About  the  middle  of  the  following  day  there  wei-e  signs  that  the  wind  would  change 
to  the  south,  and  the  deer  were  at  once  started  as  quickly  as  possible  for  the  pass 
which  was  reached  in  good  season.  It  took  the  train  from  10  p.m.  to  1  a.m.  to  cross 
the  ridge,  the  wind  blowing  a  moderate  gale  from  the  south. 

"  When  Verchoyansk,  on  the  Jana,  was  reached,  a  contract  was  made  with  a 
deer-owner  for  the  transportation  of  the  bodies,  and  after  consultation  it  was  decided 
not  to  go  direct  to  Bulun,  but  to  the  mouth  of  the  Omalvi  and  then  across  the  Bor- 
chaia  Bay  to  Gemovialocke  Island  (at  the  mouth  of  the  southeastern  branch  of  the 
Lena),  where  dogs  for  travelling  in  the  Delt'i  were  to  be  obtained.  When  the  party 
reached  Borchaia  Bay,  it  found  that  the  continued  high  winds  had  blown  the  snow 
from  the  ice.  The  deer  could  not  travel  over  the  uncovered  ice,  and  their  owner 
refused  to  follow  the  shore  of  the  bay  and  save  the  time  it  would  take  to  go  south- 
easlward  to  Bulun.  To  Bulun  the  train  was  driven,  and  then  to  Kumaksurk,  Bukoff. 
and  Gemovialocke.  When  the  latter  place  was  reached  the  party  was  met  by  a  povrga. 
In  fifteen  minutes,  though  overhead  the  sky  was  beautifully  clear,  the  air  for  many 
feet  from  the  earth  was  filled  with  a  mass  of  snow,  with  air  spaces  somewhat  larger 
than  exist  when  the  snow  is  lying  on  the  ground.  Objects  at  a  distance  of  thirty 
feet  could  not  be  seen.  There  was  some  trouble  in  securing  dog-teams,  because  of 
the  scarcity  of  dogs,  but  when  the  gale,  which  lasted  three  days,  was  over,  the  party 
started  for  Mat  Vai  with  seven  teams  of  twelve  dogs  each. 

REMOVING  THE  BODIES  FROM  THE  TOMB. 

"  Three  days'  travelling,  with  good  weather,  brought  the  party  to  Mat  Vai,  where 
the  ten  men  spent  the  night  in  a  hut  twelve  feet  square.  The  good  weather  con- 
tinued during  the  next  day,  and  at  noon  the  party  halted  at  the  tomb  containing  the 
remains  of  DeLong  and  his  companions.  To  open  the  tomb,  remove  the  snow  and 
expose  the  bodies  was  the  work  of  less  than  an  hour.  From  descriptions  as  to  cloth- 
ing and  position,  Mr.  Harber  was  able  to  identify  the  bo<lies,  and  ivs  each  one  was 
removed  it  was  carefully  marked  and  wnipped  in  felt.  By  nightfall  the  tomb  was 
empty  and  again  closed,  and  the  party  was  at  Mat  Vai,  ready  for  an  early  start  in 
the  morning.  The  nm  up  the  Lena  to  Bulun  was  a  hard  one.  The  loads  were 
heavy  and  the  ice  was  rough,  and  for  a  portion  of  the  time  the  party  had  to  con- 


424  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

tend  with  strong  head-winds  and  drifting  snow.  At  Bulun  a  sled  for  each  body  was 
made,  as  all  were  so  crooked  that  two  could  not  easily  be  carried  on  one  sled.  After 
some  delay  in  securing  deer,  the  train  again  started  with  sixteen  sleds  and  forty  deer. 
The  rest  of  the  tedious  journey  was  made  slowly,  the  deer  being  poor  and  often  giv- 
ing out.  But  by  struggling  on  day  and  night,  Yakutsk  was  reached  in  safety  on 
March  29,  just  as  thawing  weather  set  in.  Throughout  the  journey  the  cold  was 
great,  the  thermometer  falling  on  one  day  to  —  69°  F. 

'*  Since  leaving  St.  Petersburg,  eighteen  months  ago.  Mr.  Harber  and  Mr. 
Schuetze  have  had  anything  but  a  pleasant  time.  Their  best  beds  for  ten  months 
were  planks  covered  with  deer-skins,  and  for  many  days  they  slept  upon  wet  ground, 
often  in  the  mud.  Their  diet  has  been  fish,  reindeer-meat,  rice,  and  hard,  black 
broad,  to  which  were  added  potatoes,  birds,  white  bread,  frozen  cabbage,  and  salt 
cucumbers  while  they  were  in  Yakutsk." 

In  closing  this  record  of  American  heroism,  one  or  two  reflections 
may  be  permitted.  This  voyage  certainly  brings  to  the  pages  of  his- 
tory a  memorable  story.  If  the  Pole,  or  even  a  very  high  latitude, 
could  have  been  reached  by  this  route,  or  if,  at  the  season  of  1879, 
Wrangell  or  Herald  Islands  could  have  been  made  by  any  one,  De- 
Long  and  his  noble  comrades  would  have  secured  one  or  all  of  these 
objects.  Their  professional  ability,  courage,  energy,  and  fortitude  are 
in  proof. 

The  Naval  Court  of  Inquiry,  after  a  most  thorough  examination  of 
all  the  survivors  of  the  Expedition,  reported,  as  regards  the  performance 
of  the  duties  expected  from  its  officers,  that  the  evidence  shows  "  that 
in  the  management  of  the  '  Jeannette'  up  to  the  time  of  her  destruction, 
Lieutenant  Commander  DeLong,  by  his  foresight  and  prudence,  pro- 
vided measures  to  meet  emergencies,  and  enforced  wise  regulations  to 
maintain  discipline,  to  preserve  health,  and  to  encourage  cheerfulness 
among  those  under  his  command;  and  the  physical  condition  of  the 
people  was  good,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  cases  of  lead  poisoning, 
the  result  of  eating  canned  provisions.  The  fact  of  the  ship's  having 
passed  a  second  winter  in  the  pack  without  any  appearance  of  scurvy 
on  board,  sufficiently  attests  the  excellence  of  the  sanitary  arrange- 
ments adopted,  and  reflects  great  credit  upon  her  medical  officer, 
Passed  Assistant-Surgeon  James  M.  Ambler,  who  throughout  the 
expedition  was  indefatigable  in  the  performance  of  his  duties."  It 
was  to  his  constant  care  of  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  ship  and 


THE  NORTH  POLE  NOT  TO  BE  REACHED.  425 

the  ship's  company  in  regard  to  tlie  air,  light,  ventilation,  and  drink- 
ing water,  that  the  "  Jeannette "  passed  through  two  such  depress- 
ing winters  without  a  touch  of  scurvy.  Of  the  meteorologist,  Mr. 
Jerome  J.  Collins,  DeLong  spoke  as  a  gentleman  who  commended 
himself  by  his  intelligent  zeal  and  his  determination  to  secure  the 
best  results  of  the  expedition.  Lieutenant  Danenhower's  narrative 
testifies  to  his  usefulness  as  a  meteorologist.  His  predictions  of  the 
southeast  drift  of  June,  1881,  were  in  keeping  with  his  like  accu- 
rate fore  warnings  while  he  was  the  meteorologist  of  the  New  York 
Herald. 

But  the  condition  of  the  ice  from  even  the  date  of  August  1  of  the 
year  1879-80  was  exceptionally  different,  as  has  been  shown,  not  only 
from  DeLong's  expectation,  but  from  that  of  the  years  immediately  pre- 
ceding. Giving  full  weight  then  to  the  disadvantageous  delay  experi- 
enced by  his  search  for  Professor  Nordenskiold  —  a  delay  commented 
upon  with  justice  by  the  Naval  board — it  seems  clear  that  even  without 
this  delay,  DeLong's  urgent  desire  to  put  his  ship  into  winter  quarters  in 
some  harbor  in  Wrangell  Land  such  as  afterwards  found  by  Berry, 
could  not  have  been  accomplished.  His  journal  of  September  4  reads : 
*'  At  2  p.  M.  the  greatest  amount  of  water  space  seeming  to  be  to  the 
northeast,  the  *  Jeannette '  made  her  way  in  that  direction  generally, 
and,  at  4.30  had  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the  pack  into  the  open 
sea."  Seaman  Nindemann  also  testifies  that  coming  down  from 
the  crow's  nest  he  reported  to  the  Captain  that  there  was  plenty  of 
water  northward  and  eastward,  to  which  DeLong  answered :  "  I  wish 
to  try  and  make  Wrangell  Land  if  I  can."  Nindemann  further  testi- 
fied that  on  steaming  a  little  to  the  northward,  the  ship  struck  a  large 
lead  that  ran  in  toward  Wrangell  Land,  and  as  there  were  still  large 
holes  of  open  water  to  the  westward,  if  she  could  have  forced  her  way 
through  the  ice  for  about  fifty  yards  ahead,  she  would  have  made 
further  progress ;  but,  that  in  the  night  of  the  5th,  the  ice  had  closed 
together  and  the  young  ice  formed  so  thick  it  was  impossible  for  a 
ship  to  steam  through.  If  he  "had  had  charge  of  the  ship  at  that 
time,  he  would  have  done  what  Captain  DeLong  did,  if  he  wanted 
to  reach  Wrangell  Land."     When  the  ship  entered  the  lead,  Septera- 


426  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

ber  5,  he  thought  "  there  was  a  fair  chance  of  getting  her  through  to 
"Wrangell  Land." 

In  connection  with  such  statements,  how  impressive  is  the  lesson 
drawn  anew  from  the  uncertainties  of  ice-navigation,  and  how  disheart- 
ening DeLong's  journal  of  the  12th :  — 

^  "  It  is  unpleasant  to  realize  that  our  exploration  for  a  whole  year 
should  come  to  a  stop  on  the  6th  September,  and  that'  at  a  point  which 
a  sailing  ship,  the  '  Vincennes,'  reached  in  1855  without  any  difficulty. 
And  here  we  are  in  a  steamer,  and  beset  in  the  pack  before  we  are  two 
months  out  of  San  Francisco.  My  disappointment  is  great,  how  great 
no  one  else  will  probably  ever  know.  I  had  hoped  to  accomplish  some- 
thing new  in  the  first  summer." 

How  promptly  arises  the  now  useless  regret  that  a  harbor  could  not 
have  been  secured,  and  the  ship's  company  of  the  "  Jeannette"  sheltered 
on  the  island,  and  at  the  worst,  if  no  further  northward  progress  had 
been  made  they  had  been  maintained  on  their  abundant  supplies  and 
finally  rescued  by  the  "Corwin,"  the  "Rodgers,"  or  some  passing  whaler. 

Once  more  —  how  can  the  further  regret  be  stilled  which  arises 
from  the  fact  that  through  the  imperfect  information  of  the  charts, 
and  also,  it  is  believed,  from  some  European  publications  in  the  hands 
of  Captain  DeLong,  a  landing  was  made  by  him  at'  so  unfavorable  a 
point,  and  the  uncertain  course  from  it  taken  on  the  Lena  Delta  which 
ended  only  in  destruction  ?  With  better  information  he  might  have 
been  directed  to  a  safe  landing ;  he  was  within  twenty-five  miles  of  a 
Siberian  settlement. 

Yet  these  unavailing  regrets  may  well  give  place  to  the  sentiments 
of  reverence  and  just  esteem  for  the  noble  dead,  and  to  the  consoling 
reflection  that  in  the  judgment  of  the  Naval  Court  of  Inquiry,  every- 
thing possible  was  done  for  their  relief.  "  Considering,"  the  court 
says,  "  the  condition  of  the  survivors,  the  unfavorable  season,  the 
limited  knowledge  of  the  country,  the  want  of  facilities  for  prose- 
cuting the  search,  and  the  great  difficulty  of  communicating  with 
the  natives ;  everything  possible  was  done  for  the  relief  of  the  other 
parties."  The  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation,  Commodore  Walker, 
reports  the  entry  upon  the  Charts  of  the  U.  S.  Hydrographic  Office,  of 


HONORS   TO   DeLONG  AND   HIS   COMRADES.  427 

the  group  of  islands  discovered  by  DeLong,  as  the  "  DeLong  Islands," 
in  memory  of  that  gallant  officer.  The  Hydrographer,  Commander 
De  Kraft,  in  connection  with  this  notice  says :  "  that  the  islands  con- 
sidered an  extension  of  the  New  Siberian  group  are  thus  entered  on  the 
Chart,  as  a  lasting  testimonial  in  the  regions  of  eternal  ice  to  the  intre- 
pidity of  the  Commander  of  the  'Jeannette,'  who  reached  a  higher 
latitude  in  the  Siberian  Arctic  than  any  heretofore  attained." 

The  review  of  the  whole  voyage  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  Bulletin 
de  la  SociStS  de  Geographies  1st  Trimestre,  1883,  closes  thus :  "  Honor 
to  DeLong,  who  always  knew  how  to  exercise  the  fullest  qualities  of 
courage  and  of  command !  Honor  to  all  his  comrades,  officers,  and 
sailors,  whose  spirit  of  discipline  and  sacrifice  is  a  glory  to  the  navy 
which  counts  such  men  within  its  ranks."  This  is  the  tribute  of  an  im- 
partial judge  who  had  at  hand  all  the  elements  of  a  proper  judgment. 

Note.  —  Since  these  papers  were  sent  to  the  press,  the  author  has  received  from 
Engineer  Melville  a  copy  of  a  letter  (translated  from  the  Russian)  written  to  him  by 
General  TchemaiefFfrom  Irkutsk,  in  which  letter,  after  repeated  expressions  of  esteem, 
the  Governor  gives  a  detailed  list  of  the  crosses  of  honor,  medals,  and  moneys  recently 
bestowed  by  the  Czar  on  the  Ispravniks  and  on  the  natives  who  assisted  Melville  and 
Danenhower  in  their  searches  for  DeLong  and  Chipp.  The  Governor  had  recom- 
mended rewards  for  the  Russian  exiles  also  who  had  assisted  in  the  search.  His 
letter  says  that  "the  papers  of  these  Criminal  Exiles  have  been  asked  for  by  the  Min- 
istex",  and  recommendation  is  to  be  made  thereon  to  the  Czar  for  his  action."  May 
the  humane  and  prompt  deeds  of  humanity  related  by  Danenhower,  as  received  fi-om 
some  of  these  poor  exiles,  recall  them  from  the  Siberian  wilds  to  their  n.itive  lands! 

The  cable  dispatch  below  gives  the  latest  words  from  Lieutenant  Ilarber,  who 
with  the  remains  of  the  ten  of  the  Delta  may  be  expected  within  sixty  days :  — 

"Irkutsk,  Dec.  21. 
"The  remains  of  Comm.inder  DeLong  and  his  comr.ides  of  the  ill-fated  '.Jean- 
nette' Expedition  have  arrived  here.  The  remains  were  borne  in  procession  tlirongii 
the  streets  to-day,  escorted  by  a  detachment  of  troops.  A  multitude  of  people  joined 
in  the  cortege.  Many  wreaths  were  placed  upon  the  coffins,  and  printed  copies  of 
poems  describing  the  exploits  and  unhappy  end  of  DeLong  and  his  party  were  dis- 
tributed among  the  crowd.    The  remains  will  be  taken  to  Ahierica." 

These  honors  were  not  prompted  by  curiosity  only,  lor  the  condition  of  the  bodies 
was  well  known.  Memorials  are  proposed  for  erection  at  the  Xaval  Academy, 
Annapolis. 


CHAPTER    XL 

RELIEF  EXPEDITIONS  FOR  THE   "JE ANNETTE." 

THE  FIRST  CRUISE  OF  THE  "  COR  WIN,"  1880. — THE  MISSING  WHALERS. 
—  INSTRUCTIONS  OF  SECRETARY  SHERMAN  FOR  THEIR  SEARCH  AND 
FOR  THE  "  JEANNETTE." — THE  SHIP  REFITTED  AT  SAN  FRANCISCO. — 
ARRIVES  AT  OUNALASKA,  JUNE  7TH.  —  NIPPED  IN  THE  PACK  OFF 
CAPE  ROMANZOFF,  JUNE  16TH.  —  ENTERS  THE  ARCTIC  SEA  28TH.  — 
LAST  SIGHT  OF  THE  "MOUNT  WOLLASTON"  AND  "VIGILANT"  RE- 
PORTED BY  CAPTAIN  BAULDRY.  —  VISIT  TO  THE  CAVE  DWELLERS  ON 
king's  ISLAND.  —  THE  COAL  VEIN  EAST  OF  CAPE  LISBURNE.  —  WITH- 
IN SEVEN  MILES  OF  HERALD  ISLAND. — WRANGELL  LAND  IN  SIGHT. 
LAND  SEEN  TO  THE  NORTH.  —  RETURN  OF  THE  "  CORWIN." —  CAP- 
TAIN hooper's  notes  of  the  ice  —  OF  THE  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS 
OF  THE  NATIVES  ON  THE  SHORES  OF  THE  ARCTIC. 

SECOND  CRUISE  OF  THE  "  CORWIN,"  1881.  —  INSTRUCTIONS  OF  SECRE- 
TARY SHERMAN.  —  OFFICERS.  —  SAILING  FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO.  — 
ONALGA  PASS.  —  OUNALASKA.  —  ST.  LAWRENCE  ISLAND.  —  REPORTS 
OF  THE  MISSING  SHIPS  AT  CAPE  SERDZE-KAMEN.  —  SLEDGE  PARTY  TO 
REACH  THE  SHORE.  —  PLOVER  BAY.  —  RETURN  TO  CAPE  SERDZE.  — 
LANDING  ON  HERALD  ISLAND.  —  CHARACTER  OF  THE  ISLAND.  — 
LANDING  ON  WRANGELL  LAND.  —  DISCOVERY  OF  THIS  LAND  BY 
CAPTAINS  LONG  AND  RAYNOR,  1867.  —  THE  "  CORWIN  "  THE  FIRST 
TO  EXPLORE  IT.  —  HOISTS  THE  U.  S.  FLAG.  —  VISIT  TO  POINT  BAR- 
IIOW.  —  RETURN  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  — TRIBUTE  TO  DeLONG. 

THE  FIRST  CRUISE,   MAY  22  TO   OCTOBER   12,  1880. 

WHEN  the  North  Pacific  whaling  fleet  of  1879  had  returned 
from  their  cruise  later  than  usual,  without  bringing  any  word 
of  the  "Jeannette,"  and  it  was  further  learned  that  two  of 
their  number,  the  "  Mount  Wollaston "  and  the  "  Vigilant,"  had  not 
been  seen  later  than  October  10,  and  then  in  the  same  region  where 
the  "  Jeannette  "  had  been  last  seen,  much  anxiety  began  to  be  felt  for 
428 


THE  "CORWIN,"  1880.  429 

the  ships.  In  the  spring  following,  petitions  were  forwarded  to  Con- 
gress and  to  the  Naval  authorities,  asking  for  Relief  Expeditions  in 
search  of  the  "  Jeannette."  The  U.  S.  Treasury  Department  was  first 
able  to  offer  assistance. 

May  15,  1880,  Secretary  Sherman  ordered  the  Revenue  Steamer 
"Corwin,"  Captain  C.  L.  Hooper  commanding,  to  proceed  from  San 
Francisco  on  a  cruise  in  the  waters  of  Alaska,  chiefly  "for  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  provisions  of  law  and  protection  of  the  interests  of  the 
U.  S.  Government  on  the  seal  islands,  and  the  sea  otter  hunting  grounds 
and  of  Alaska  generally ;  but,  additionally,  to  afford  assistance  to  the 
two  whalers, '  Mount  Wollaston  '  and  'Vigilant '  if  they  should  possibly 
be  fallen  in  with."  They  had  been  reported  to  the  Department  as  hav- 
ing been  probably  caught  in  the  ice  within  the  Arctic  Ocean,  while 
endeavoring  to  return  through  Bering  Straits. 

Captain  Hooper  was  further  instructed  to  make  careful  inquiries 
while  in  the  Arctic,  regarding  the  progress  and  whereabouts  of  the 
steamer  "  Jeannette,"  and,  if  practicable,  to  communicate  with  and 
extend  any  assistance  to  that  vessel.  He  was  permitted  in  his  discre- 
tion to  remain  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  as  late  in' the  season  as  might  be 
necessary  to  accomplish  the  object  of  his  voyage  without  encountering 
undue  hazard  to  his  command.  The  "  Corwin "  was  built  at  Abina, 
Oregon,  entirely  of  Oregon  fir,  fastened  with  copper,  galvanized  iron, 
and  locust  tree  nails  ;  her  length  between  perpendiculars  was  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  feet  six  inches;  beam  moulded,  twenty-three 
feet;  overall  twenty-four  feet;  draught  ten  feet  ten  inches;  tonnage 
two  hundred  and  twenty-seven,  custom-house  measurement.  She  was 
now  strengthened  with  one-inch  oak  plank,  two  feet  above  water  line 
to  six  feet  below,  from  stem  to  stern,  put  on  over  the  copper  and 
secured  with  two  and  a  half  inch  composition  nails.  She  was  furnished 
with  a  three-eighth  inch  iron  ice-breaker,  a  new  steam  windlass  was 
built,  and  all  her  machinery  thoroughly  overhauled  and  renewed. 
Under  steam  she  could  make  eleven  knots.  Captain  E.  H.  Smith, 
experienced  in  Arctic  navigation,  went  out  as  ice-pilot  to  the  ship's 
company  numbering  in  all  forty  persons.  They  were  provisioned  for 
twelve  months. 


430  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

The  "  Corwin "  arrived  at  Ounalaska  after  a  rough  passage  of 
twelve  days,  sailing  from  which  port  June  8,  and  touching  at  St.  Paul's 
lat.  57°  5',  long.  169°  51',  she  shaped  her  course  for  Cape  Romanzoif, 
and  at  daylight  of  the  11th,  first  struck  the  ice  north  of  Kounivak 
Island,  lat.  60°  N.,  long.  160°  W.  The  heavy  pitching  and  grinding 
along  the  edge  of  the  pack  made  it  unsafe  to  attempt  to  force  the  way, 
and  the  "  Corwin  "  anchored  in  a  fait  harbor  until  the  going  down  of 
the  gale  on  the  13th.  After  working  about  twenty  miles  through  leads, 
picked  out  from  time  to  time,  on  the  15th  Captain  Hooper  found  him- 
self utterly  helpless,  drifting  with  the  pack  southward  and  eastward 
about  two  miles  per  hour.  At  8  a.m.  he  was  in  only  five  fathoms  of 
water  among  grounded  ice,  w^hich  gave  the  vessel  sharp  nips,  trying  her 
strength.  At  one  time  the  "Corwin  "  was  lifted  up  bodily  several  feet, 
and  held  suspended  for  some  minutes ;  coming  in  contact  with  one, 
*'  stern  on,"  the  rudder  was  forced  over,  the  screw  steering  gear  carried 
away,  and  the  wheel  chains  parted.  Happily  the  rudder  stock,  which 
was  of  the  best  Oregon  oak,  stood  the  strain,  although  for  a  time  it 
seemed  as  if  nothing  could  save  it.  On  the  16th,  the  ship  continued 
to  drift  helplessly  all  day. 

On  the  17th,  a  sharp  northeast  gale  broke  up  the  ice  and  started  it 
off  shore,  allowing  the  "  Corwin  "  to  proceed  towards  Norton  Sound 
and  St.  Michael's,  where  she  was  again  detained  several  days.  She  had 
received  from  the  natives  the  unwelcome  news  that  the  previous  win- 
ter had  been  the  most  severe  ever  known,  a  report  confirmed  by  the 
sealers  from  Norton  Sound. 

Steaming  over  to  St.  Lawrence  Island  to  investigate  a  report  which 
had  been  made  to  the  Treasury  Department  of  a  fearful  starvation  of 
the  inhabitants  there,  Captain  Hooper  found  one  village  entirely  de- 
serted, and  in  a  second  not  a  living  being,  but  many  of  the  dead  un- 
buried,  the  whole  number  of  those  who  perished  being  estimated  at  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  At  other  villages  they  had  died  by  hundreds,  the 
survivors  reporting  that  the  weather  had  been  cold  and  stormy  for  a 
long  time  T^ith  great  quantities  of  ice  and  snow;  his  again  was  no 
encouraging  news  in  regard  to  the  missing  whalers  and  the  "Jean- 
nette." 


432  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IX   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

At  6  P.M.  of  the  28th,  the  "  Corwin  "  entered  the  Arctic  Sea ;  on 
the  30th  she  made  two  whalers,  one  of  which  had  communicated  with 
the  natives  at  Point  Hope,  but  could  learn  no  good  tidings  there.  Fol- 
lowing the  ice  pack  around  from  Cape  Serdze  Kamen,  and  communi- 
cating with  the  natives  and  whalers  on  both  sides  of  Bering  Strait  and 
within  the  Arctic  Ocean,  she  learned  from  them  without  exception  that 
in  their  opinion  nothing  would  ever  be  heard  of  the  "Mount  Wollas- 
ton"*  or  the  "Vigilant."  They  were  reported  as  last  seen  by  Captain 
Bauldry  of  the  "  Helen  Mar  "  of  New  Bedford,  forty  miles  southeast  of 
Herald  Island,  with  clear  water  at  the  time  to  the  northward,  in  which 
direction  they  were  steering.  Captain  Bauldry  himself  had  escaped 
with  difficulty  by  forcing  a  passage  through  the  new  ice  which  formed 
rapidly  around  him,  but  a  sudden  change  of  wind  had  driven  the  miss- 
ing whalers  northwesterly  into  the  open  water,  while  a  heavy  body  of 
ice  south  of  them  prevented  all  escape. 

From  the  date  last  named,  until  the  sailing  of  the  "  Corwin  "  from 
Ounalaska,  October  2,  for  San  Francisco,  the  sliip  cruised  almost  with- 

*  Mr.  Newcomb,  the  naturalist  of  the  "  Jeannette,"  in  his  volume  of  "  Our  Lost 
Explorers,"  quotes  from  Mr.  William  Bradford  of  San  Francisco,  the  following  unhappy 
note  of  an  interview  at  that  port  between  the  captain  of  the  "  Mount  WoUaston  "  and  Lieu- 
tenant DeLong.  "  A  short  time  before  Lieutenant  DeLong's  departure,  I  suggested  to  him 
that  we  call  together  all  the  whaling  captains  then  in  port  —  most  of  whom  I  knew  well 
personally —  and  avail  ourselves  of  whatever  information  their  experience  might  afford 
and  suggestions  they  might  have  to  make.  He  accepted  the  idea  and  arranged  the  meet- 
ing, and  they  all  attended.  One  by  one  they  gave  their  opinions,  mainly  upon  the  point 
of  their  greatest  interest,  the  probable  direction  of  the  winds  and  currents  at  the  time 
when  Lieutenant  DeLong  expected  to  reach  Wrangell  Land.  But  there  was  one  among 
them  who  kept  ominously  silent,  not  venturing  an  opinion  or  offering  a  suggestion.  I 
finally  said  :  '  Captain  Nye  has  not  given  us  his  opinion,  and  we  would  like  to  hear  from 
him.'  He  said  :  '  Gentlemen,  there  is  n't  much  to  be  said  about  this  matter.  You,  Lieu- 
tenant DeLong,  have  a  very  strong  vessel,  have  you  not  ?  —magnificently  equipped  for  the 
service,  with  unexceptionable  crew  and  aids.  And  you  will  take  plenty  of  provisions  and 
all  the  coal  you  can  carry?'  To  each  of  these  questions,  as  it  was  asked.  Lieutenant 
DeLong  replied  affirmatively.  '  Then,'  said  Captain  Nye,  *  put  her  into  the  ice  and  let  her 
drift,  and  you  may  get  through,  or  you  may  go  to  the  devil,  and  the  chances  are  about 
equal.'  Poor  Captain  Nye  !  he  ventured  in  there  after  Lieutenant  DeLong  —  into  those 
same  Arctic  regions,  in  the  prosecution  of  his  enterprise  as  a  whaler — and  was  never 
heard  of  again.  He  was  from  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  was  one  of  the  oldest,  bravest  and 
best  men  in  the  service,  and  there  was  no  man  sailing  to  the  frigid  seas  who  knew  more  of 
their  perils  than  he  who  made  that  ominous  forecast  of  the  probable  fate  of  the  '  Jean- 
nette,' if  not  of  her  commander." 


KINGS  ISLAND.  438 

out  delay  for  the  ice-floes  or  for  rest  to  her  crew,  steaming  over  six 
thousand  miles  in  the  Arctic  Ocean,  without  gaining  any  tidings  of  the 
missing  vessels.  July  6,  Captain  Hooper  communicated  with  the  na- 
tives of  King's  Island,  about  thirty  miles  south-southeast  from  the 
Diomedes,  which  lie  in  lat.  65°  38'  40",  long.  161°  41'.  The  island  is 
about  seven  hundred  feet  high,  with  almost  perpendicular  basalt  cliffs, 
on  the  summit  of  which  were  found  a  number  of  stone  columns  re- 
sembling the  remains  of  some  old  feudal  castle.  The  officers  of  the 
"  Corwin  "  climbed  the  steep  cliff  which  rises  from  the  sea  at  an  angle 
of  about  45°,  and  on  which  the  village  of  the  island  was  found  to  be 
composed  of  about  forty  houses ;  some  excavated  in  the  sides  of  the 
cliff,  others  made  of  walrus  skin  stretched  on  poles  secured  to  the  rocks 
outside.  Some  of  these  houses  are  two  hundred  feet  above  the  water. 
The  natives  of  this  Arctic  Gibraltar  are  very  expert  with  the  kayak.  It 
is  said  that  when  the  surf  is  breaking  against  the  perpendicular  sides  of 
the  island,  should  it  be  necessary  to  launch  a  canoe  for  any  purpose, 
the  native  who  is  to  embark  takes  his  seat  in  his  kayak  as  near  the  surf 
as  he  can  approach  with  safety,  secures  his  waterproof  shirt  made  of 
the  intestines  of  the  walrus  to  the  rim  of  the  hatch,  grasps  his  paddle, 
and  watching  a  favorable  opportunity,  gives  a  signal  to  two  men  who 
stand  in  readiness,  and  is  thrown  entirely  clear  of  the  surf.  "  The 
kayaks  are  probably  the  finest  in  the  world,  but,  owing  to  the  rough 
service  they  have  to  perform,  are  made  somewhat  heavier  than  those 
in  use  in  Kotzebue  Sound,  and  are  covered  with  walrus  hide." 

From  King's  Island  the  ship  proceeded  to  St.  Michael's  and  thence 
to  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  the  high,  ragged,  and  most  w^estern  point  of 
the  North  American  Continent,  lat.  55°  33'  30",  long.  167°  59'  10'.  July 
14th,  she  was  at  Cape  Espenberg  on  the  western  side  of  Kotzebue 
Sound;  on  the  19th,  after  passing  Cape  Kensenstern  she  headed  for 
Point  Hope,  from  which  she  endeavored  to  start  north  again,  but  found 
it  impossible  to  penetrate  the  ice. 

On  the  22d,  the  southeast  gales  having  driven  the  pack  northward, 
she  rounded  Cape  Lisburne,  where  she  found  the  "  Mary  and  Helen  " 
(afterwards  the  "Rodgers"  of  Lieutenant  Berry's  Relief  Expedition), 
which  had  taken  eight  whales.    East  of  Cape  Ligburne  a  valuable  coal 


434  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

deposit  was  visited,  lat.  68°  50'  N.,  long.  164°  55'  W.  "The  veins  of 
coal  on  the  face  of  the  cliff  can  be  seen  distinctly  at  the  distance  of 
one  mile,  and  there  is  good  anchorage  with  a  southerly  wind  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  shore  in  four  fathoms  of  water  and  fair  holding 
ground." 

On  the  28th  the  ship  was  in  lat.  70°  50'  N. ;  long.  175°  0'  3"  W., 
only  thirty-five  miles  from  Herald  Island,  but  could  not  reach  it  for  the 
solid  pack,  and  stood  again  southward.  August  4,  Herald  Island 
was  again  made,  bearing  west  by  north  half  north  by  compass,  distant 
about  thirty-five  miles,  and  the  ship  worked  toward  it  through  heavy 
drift  ice  until  it  was  judged  to  be  but  twenty  miles  distant,  when 
finding  it  impossible  to  proceed  further,  the  ice  packing  close  around 
thq  vessel,  and  a  dense  fog  shutting  down  over  the  island,  it  was 
deemed  unsafe  to  remain  longer.  While  in  sight  of  the  island  a  look- 
out was  kept  from  the  masthead  in  the  hope  of  seeing  smoke  or  some 
sign  indicating  the  presence  of  human  beings  ;  nothing  could  be  seen. 
A  Polar  monster  weighing  at  least  two  thousand  pounds  was  shot  by 
Captain  Hooper. 

Keeping  to  the  southward  along  the  ice  pack  in  long.  176"  15'. 
Hooper  tried  to  ascertain  if  it  were  possible  to  get  around  its  southern 
point  and  up  to  the  southern  extremity  of  Wrangell  Land.  A  dense 
fog  prevented  him  from  determining  satisfactorily  the  condition  of  the 
ice  in  the  straits  between  Wrangell  Land  and  the  coasts  of  Asia,  but  he 
was  satisfied  that,  had  there  been  no  fog,  he  could  not  have  reached 
Wrangell  Land. 

August  17,  Herald  Island  was  again  seen  bearing  south-southwest 
about  seven  miles  ;  and  on  the  20th  the  ship  hauled  up  for  it,  steaming 
in  the  ice  about  six  miles,  when  she  was  stopped  by  a  solid  barrier  of 
unbroken  ice  extending  nearly  north  and  south,  and  from  twelve  to 
forty  feet  in  height.  After  examining  the  island  very  carefully  with 
the  glass  from  a  distance  of  only  three  or  four  miles,  and  assuring  him- 
self of  the  impossibility  of  there  being  any  human  beings  on  it,  Cap- 
tain Hooper  worked  his  way  back  to  clear  water. 

The  sides  of  Herald  Island  were  seen  as  perpendicular  cliffs  eight 
hundred  feet  high,  ^  top,  then  covered  with  clouds,  is  said  to  be  six 


I  > 


436  AMEEICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

hundred  feet  higher.  Hooper  quotes  Captain  Kellett,  R.  N.,  who  on 
discovering  it  on  his  voyage  in  the  "  Herald  "  in  1849,  succeeded  only 
in  getting  a  foothold  on  &  projecting  rock,  as  describing  the  island  to 
be  four  and  a  half  miles  in  extent  east  and  west,  and  two  and  a  half 
north  and  south,  in  the  shape  of  a  triangle  almost  inaccessible  on  all 
sides,  and  a  solid  mass  of  granite. 

Most  unhappy  anticipations  were  forced  upon  the  "Corwin"  of 
the  experiences  which  the  journal  of  the  "  Jeannette "  has  since  re- 
Tealed  as  facts  in  her  history.  The  icy  barrier  surrounding  the 
island  was  unbroken  and  clearly  of  no  recent  formation,  and  Cap- 
tain Hooper  firmly  believed  that  the  ice  did  not  leave  the  island  the 
previous  year,  and  that  it  is  not  unusual  for  it  to  remain  even  two  or 
three  years  ;  that  it  rarely  breaks  up  between  the  island  and  Wrangell 
Sound.    No  whaler  had  gone  west  of  Herald  Island  the  previous  year. 

After  touching  at  Point  Belcher,  Icy  Cape,  Point  Barrow,  and 
Point  Hope,  on  September  10,  the  "  Corwin "  passed  a  few  miles 
again  to  the  southward  of  Herald  Shoal,  and,  finding  the  southern 
limit  of  the  northern  pack  so  changed  in  position  that  she  could  not 
get  as  far  North-  by  fifty  miles  as  she  had  gone  the  23d  of  August, 
followed  the  pack  southwest  until  the  high  hills  of  Wrangell  Land 
were  in  clear  sight,  bearing  west,  one-fourth  south  (true).  Captain 
Hooper  says :  — 

"  That  part  of  Wrangell  Land  seen,  covered  an  arc  of  the  horizon  of 
about  fifty  degrees,  from  northwest,  one-fourth  north  to  west,  one- 
fourth  south  (true),  and  was  distant  from  twenty-five  miles  on  the 
former  bearing  to  thirty-five  or  forty  miles  on  the  latter.  On  the  south 
were  three  mountains  probably  three  thousand  feet  high,  entirely 
covered  with  snow,  the  central  one  presenting  a  conical  appearance 
and  the  others  showing  slightly  rounded  tops. 

"To  the  northward  of  these  mountains  was  a  chain  of  rounded  hills, 
those  near  the  sea  being  lower  and  nearly  free  from  snow,  while  the 
back  hills,  which  probably  reach  an  elevation  of  two  thousand  feet, 
were  quite  white.  To  the  north  of  the  northern  bearing  given,  the 
land  ends  entirely  or  becomes  very  low.  The  atmosphere  was  very 
clear,  and  we  could  easily  have  seen  any  land  above  the  horizon  within 


KODGERS   HARBOR   ACCESSIBLE.  437 

a  distance  of  sixty  or  seventy  miles,  but  none  except  that  described 
could  be  seen  from  the  masthead.  ,  .  .  There  are  numerous  reports  of 
whalers  having  seen  this  land,  and  having  sailed  along  its  shores 
with  no  ice  in  sight,  and  their  tracks  and  positions  are  laid  down 
on  the  American  Hydrographic  Chart;  their  exact  position  for  each 
day  being  shown.  The  fact  that  the  whalers  keep  no  reckoning, 
and  take  no  observations  while  whaling,  will  show  how  utterly  un- 
reliable these  tracks  must  be.  They  have  a  general  knowledge  of 
the  part  of  the  ocean  they  are  in,  and  keep  a  close  run  of  the  ice 
pack.  Their  object  is  to  take  whales  and  to  this  they  give  their 
whole  attention. 

"  Although  it  is  possible  that  there  are  times  when  the  shores  of 
Wrangell  Land  are  free  from  ice,  it  is  still  very  doubtful ;  it  must 
certainly  be  but  seldom.  The  argument  is  advanced  that  Point  Barrow, 
which  is  some  miles  north  of  the  southern  limit  of  this  land,  is,  at 
times,  entirely  free  from  ice,  and  that,  therefore,  Wrangell  Land  must 
also  be  free.  The  answer  to  this  is,  that  the  immense  body  of  warm 
water  which  is  constantly  pouring  through  Bering  Strait  into  the 
Arctic,  washes  the  shores  of  Point  Barrow,  but  does  not  pass  within 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  Wrangell  Land.  The  vast  amount  of 
heat  diffused  in  this  manner,  and  its  wonderful  effects  are  too  well 
known  and  understood  to  need  repetition  here.  I  believe,  however, 
that  it  is  possible,  at  times,  for  a  strong  vessel,  properly  equipped  and 
fitted,  to  make  her  way  inshore  far  enough  to  reach  a  safe  harbor  among 
the  grounded  ice,  within  easy  travelling  distance  of  the  land,  where  she 
could  remain  in  safety,  and  exploring  parties  be  sent  out  to  examine 
the  land.  (The  warm  current  spoken  of  here  has  been  shown  to  be 
temporary.) 

"I  am  of  the  opinion  that 'Wrangell  Land  is  a  large  island  possibly 
of  a  chain  that  passes  through  the  Polar  regions  to  Greenland.  Cap- 
tain Keenan,  then  commanding  the  bark  '  James  Allen,'  reports  having 
seen  land  to  the  northward  of  Harrison  Bay,  a  few  degrees  east  of  Point 
Barrow,  eighty  or  one  hundred  miles  north:  'When  the  fog  lifted  high 
land  was  visible  to  the  northward  a  long  distance  away  but  perfectly 
distinct.' " 


488  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

This  report  will  be  noted  as  confk-ming  Lieutenant  DeLong's  journal 
record  of  land  thus  believed  to  have  been  seen  to  the  north  when  he 
was  near  Herald  Island.     But  its  existence  is,  at  least,  questionable.* 

Bidding  farewell  to  Wrangell  Land,  the  "  Corwin "  steamed  east- 
ward, reaching  Point  Hope  September  12,  Cape  Prince  of  Wales  on 
the  13th,  St.  Paul's  Island  the  21st,  and  Ounalaska  on  the  22d.  Octo- 
ber 2,  she  set  sail  for  San  Francisco,  arriving  there  after  a  quick  and 
favorable  run  of  ten  days.  She  was  forced  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  missing  whalers  had  been  crushed  and  carried  north  in  the  pack, 
and  that  their  crews  had  perished.  DeLong,  Hooper  thought,  might 
be  safe. 

Two  other  objects  of  equal  importance  with  the  search  had  been 
accomplished:  one,  the  investigation  of  some  dangerous  shoals,  in 
regard  to  which  Captain  Franklin,  Hydrographer  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau 
of  Navigation,  had  asked  Captain  Hooper's  attention  for  the  correct- 
ness of  some  coast  line  on  the  Hydrographic  charts ;  the  other,  the 
seizure  and  sending  to  the  United  States  several  vessels  found  engaged 
in  the  illicit  trade  of  supplying  the  natives  in  Alaska  Territory  with 

*  In  illustration  of  the  deceptive  appearances  indicating  the  supposed  existence  of 
land,  Dr.  Rosse,  the  surgeon  of  the  "  Corwin"  says  :  — 

"  Not  the  least  curious  of  the  atmospheric  phenomena  are  the  modifications  of  nervous 
excitability  in  connection  with  the  perception  of  light  —  the  wonderful  optical  illusions 
■witnessed  from  time  to  time  during  periods  of  extraordinary  and  unequal  refraction.  One 
day  in  July,  at  St.  Michael's,  I  saw  on  looking  northward  an  island  high  up  in  the  air  and 
inverted  ;  some  distant  peaks,  invisible  on  ordinary  occasions,  loomed  up  and  at  one  time 
the  very  shape  of  a  tower-topped  building  magnified,  and  suddenly  changing,  assumed  the 
shape  of  immense  factory  chimneys.  Again,  ofif  Port  Clarence,  was  witnessed  the  optical 
phenomenon  of  dancing  mountains  and  the  mirage  of  ice  fifty  miles  away,  which  caused  our 
experienced  ice-pilot  to  say  :  'No  use  to  go  in  here,  don't  you  see  the  ice  !'  Again,  the 
mountains  of  Bering  Straits  have  so  betrayed  the  imagination  that  they  have  been  seen 
to  assume  the  most  fantastical  and  grotesque  shapes,  at  one  moment  that  of  a  mountain 
not  unlike  Table  Mountain,  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope;  then  the  changing  diorama  shows 
the  shape  of  an  immense  anvil,  followed  by  the  likeness  of  an  enormous  gun  mounted 
en  barbette,  the  whole  standing  out  in  silhouette  against  the  background,  while  looking^ 
in  an  opposite  direction  at  another  time  a  whaling  vessel,  turned  bottom  upward,  appeared 
in  the  sky.  On  another  occasion,  in  lat.  70°,  when  the  state  of  the  air  was  favorable  to 
extraordinary  refraction,  a  white  gull  swimming  on  the  water  in  the  distant  horizon  was 
taken  for  an  iceberg,  or  more  correctly  a  floe-berg;  other  gulls  in  the  distance,  looming  up. 
looked  for  all  the  world  like  white  tents  on  a  beach,  while  others  resembled  men  with, 
white  shirts  paddling  a  canoe. 


NO  ICEBERGS.  439 

whiskey  and  ammunition.  The  location  of  Point  Hope  was  found  by 
close  observations  to  be  laid  down  on  the  U.  S.  Hydrographic  charts, 
seven  miles  of  longitude  too  far  west;  and  the  land  between  Cape 
Serdze  Kamen  and  Koliutchin  Bay,  about  fifteen  miles  too  far  to  the 
north. 

"THE  ICE  AND   ITS  HABITS." 

Careful  observations  of  the  ice  formations  and  of  its  openings  in- 
duced a  report  which  is  best  presented  in  Captain  Hooper's  own 
words.     He  says  of  the  ice  and  its  habits :  — 

"  In  that  part  of  the  Arctic  visited  by  the  '  Corwin,'  the  ice  is 
quite  different  from  that  in  the  vicinity  of  Greenland.  No  immense 
icebergs  raise  their  frozen  peaks  hundreds  of  feet  in  the  air.  The 
highest  ice  seen  by  us  during  the  season  would  not  exceed  fifty  feet  in 
height.  The  average  height  of  the  main  pack  is  from  ten  to  fifteen 
feet,  with  hummocks  that  rise  to  twenty  or  thirty  feet.  Occasionally, 
however,  fields  are  met  with  which  rise  forty  or  even  fifty  feet  above 
the  water.  The  specific  gravity  of  sea-ice  is  .91;  hence  only  about  a 
tenth  is  visible  above  the  surface  of  the  water.  A  field  twenty  feet  in 
height  may  have  a  depth  of  nearly  two  hundred  feet.  This  enormous 
thickness  is  caused  by  one  layer  being  forced  upon  another  by  the 
action  of  wind  and  current.  The  greatest  thickness  it  attains  by  freez- 
ing is  about  eighteen  feet;  at  that  depth,  ice  ceases  to  be  a  conductor 
of  temperature.  The  maximum  depth  reached  in  a  single  winter  is, 
according  to  Parry,  Wrangell,  and  other  Arctic  travellers,  about  nine 
and  one-half  feet. 

"  The  ice  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  is  never  at  rest.  Even  in  the  coldest 
winters  it  is  liable  to  displacement  and  pressure  by  the  currents  of 
air  and  water.  The  expansions  and  contractions,  due  to  changes  in 
temperature,  also  assist  in  this  disturbance.  Owing  to  these  com- 
bined causes,  the  surface  of  the  ice  always  presents  a  rougli,  uneven 
appearance. 

"  Along  the  edge  of  the  pack,  during  the  summer,  is  generally  found 
a  belt  of  drift-ice,  varying  in  width  according  to  the  direction  of  the 
Wind.    When  the  wind  blows  off  the  pack,  drift-ice  is  frequently  found 


440  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  the  main  body.  At  times  the  pack  itself 
opens  in  leads,  by  which  it  may  be  penetrated  for  several  miles.  In 
venturing  within  the  limits  of  the  pack,  however,  a  sharp  watch  must 
be  kept  on  the  movements  of  the  ice  and  a  retreat  made  at  the  first 
indication  of  its  closing. 

"  A  vessel  beset  in  the  pack  is  as  helpless  as  if  she  were  as  far  inland, 
while  there  is  imminent  danger  of  being  crushed  at  any  moment. 

"  When  the  wind  blows  on  the  pack,  the  drift-ice  becomes  as  close 
as  the  pack  itself.  .  .  . 

"  The  '  barrier,'  or  that  part  of  the  ice  which  does  not  break  up, 
varies  slightly  in  position  from  year  to  year,  but  generally  may  be 
looked  for  near  Icy  Cape  during  September.  It  extends  westerly  as 
far  as  Herald  Shoal,  where  it  takes  a  northwesterly  direction  to  the 
vicinity  of  Herald  Island.  Here,  in  August  and  September,  a  lane  of 
open  water  is  generally  found  extending  to  the  northward.  This  space 
is  at  first  filled  with  broken  ice.  On  our  second  attempt  to  reach  the 
island,  we  steamed  up  this  lane  over  fifty  miles,  with  the  pack  in  sight 
from  the  masthead  on  both  sides.  The  last  twenty  miles  we  were 
compelled  to  force  our  way  through  drift-ice. 

"  As  stated  elsewhere,  the  ice-barrier  extends  several  degrees  further 
south  between  Point  Barrow  and  Wrangell  Land,  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  Arctic  regions." 

THE   INNUITS. 

Of  the  appearance,  character,  and  habits  of  the  natives  of  these 
regions  of  which  little  has  been  known,  the  Reports  of  this  and  of  the 
next  cruise  of  the  "  Corwin  "  furnish  interesting  data,  additional  to 
those  supplied  by  the  late  Captain  Bailey  of  the  "Rush,"  Captain 
Beardslee,  U.  S.  N.,  Mr.  Dall  of  the  U.  S.  Coast  Survey,  and  Mr.  Elliott 
and  other  observers  for  the  Smithsonian  and  the  Signal  Service.  Their 
labors  and  the  results  are  accredited  in  the  Reports  of  the  Smithsonian. 

In  the  Report  of  this  first  cruise.  Captain  Hooper  Jiotes  some 
peculiarities  of  the  Coast  Indians,  and  some  diversities  among  them 
in  regard  to  their  habits  as  compared  with  those  of  the  Interior 
and  with   the   Eskimos   of  the    East   Coast   of  North  America.     He 


THE   "BADARKA.  '  441 

says  of  the  natives  of  Nounivah  Island,  rarely  visited  by  traders  on 
account  of  shallow  waters  along  the  coast,  that  the  inhabitants  ran 
away  to  the  hills  at  his  approach;  the  next  day,  however,  he  succeeded 
in  capturing  one  man,  three  women  and  three  children,  all  much  alarmed 
with  the  expectation  of  being  killed.  Their  fears  were  quieted  by  a 
present  of  tobacco,  and  the  man  was  persuaded  to  come  on  board,  and 
seemed  much  interested  in  all  he  saw,  a  looking-glass  astonishing  him 
more  than  all  else,  first  alarming  and  then  amusing  him.  He  did  not 
know  the  use  of  brandy  or  whiskey,  spitting  them  out  in  disgust. 
Putting  his  hands  on  the  stove  he  seemed  astonished  that  it  burned 
him,  and  tried  it  a  second  time.  The  ten  houses  of  the  settlement  are 
built  of  mud  and  connected  by  an  underground  passage ;  a  common 
entrance  and  the  only  one,  is  a  covered  way  in  the  centre  of  the  circle 
in  which  they  are  built,  short  branches  running  off  to  the  separate 
houses. 

"  The  badarka  in  use  differs  somewhat  from  that  used  bv  the  Aleu- 
tian  Islanders ;  the  former  is  shorter  and  has  more  beam,  and  is  made 
to  carry  only  one  person.  The  natives  ventui^e  out  in  all  kinds  of 
weather,  but  always  in  pairs,  never  going  singly.  Like  the  Aleutian 
Island  badarkas,  these  are  made  of  skin,  seal  or  sea-lion,  drawn  over  a 
light  frame  of  wood,  with  a  small  round  hole  in  the  top,  in  which  the 
native  sits  and  paddles,  and  from  which  he  shoots  or  spears  game. 
When  night  comes  on,  he  draws  his  badarka  on  the  ice,  crawls  down 
out  of  sight,  and,  wrapping  himself  in  his  '  parkie,'  or  fur  shirt,  goes  to 
sleep.  They  carry  their  rifles  and  a  supply  of  seal-meat  inside  the 
badarka,  and  their  spears  and  sled  lashed  on  the  top  ;  thus  equipped, 
they  are  prepared  for  land  or  water  travel.  If  caught  in  a  gale  they 
lash  two  badarkas  together  and  ride  it  out  in  safety." 

Of  the  Eskimos  of  the  North  American  coast,  he  says :  — 
"These  Innuits  (by  which  name  only  these  people  know  each  other) 
are  totally  unlike  the  Eskimos  described  in  books  of  travel,  being  tall 
and  muscular,  many  of  them  over  six  feet  in  height ;  one  at  Cape  Kru- 
zenstern  fully  six  feet  six  inclies.  Their  remarkable  physical  develoj^- 
ment  seems  due  to  a  mixture  with  the  Indians  of  the  interior,  those 
living  on  the  Yukon  and  Tennenah  Rivei-s  and  other  places,  having 


442  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

long  muscular  limbs  and  erect  figures,  showing  courage,  strength,  and 
endurance.  Like  all  aborigines,  the  men  are  lazy  and  compel  the 
women  to  perform  all  the  manual  labor ;  Captain  Hooper  saw  two 
women  each  with  a  child  on  her  back,  drawing  a  thirty  foot  net  for 
salmon,  while  the  men  stood  by  smoking,  without  offering  to  assist, 
although  it  was  evident  the  task  was  too  much  for  the  women. 

"  The  seal  may  be  called  their  main  stay,  the  flesh  and  oil  form  the 
cliief  article  of  subsistence,  the  skin  furnishes  clothing,  tents,  and 
boats ;  cut  into  thongs,  it  is  used  for  making  nets  for  catching  fish  and 
birds.  The  oil  is  burned  in  lamps  which  light  and  warm  the  tupiks 
during  the  long,  dark  winter  nights. 

"  They  hunt  seals  on  the  ice  in  the  spring  and  fall,  and  show  them- 
selves marvels  of  patience,  lying  flat  on  the  ice  for  hours,  waiting  for  a 
seal  to  appear.  The  seal  is  very  shy,  and  seldom  moves  far  from  the 
hole  in  the  ice,  which  they  keep  open  by  scratching.  The  hunter 
approaches  cautiously,  by  crawling  over  the  ice,  his  body  nearly  pros- 
trate, raised  slightly  on  one  elbow.  He  has  a  piece  of  bear-skin,  about 
two  feet  long  and  a  foot  wide,  which  he  attaches  to  his  leg  on  the  side 
upon  which  he  rests ;  this  enables  him  to  slide  more  easily  over  the  ice. 
The  elbow  rests  upon  a  ring  of  grass.  He  carries  a  stick,  to  which  is 
attached  the  claw  of  some  animal  or  bird,  to  use  in  imitating  the 
scratching  of  the  seal  on  the  ice.  In  the  other  hand  he  supports  his 
rifle,  in  readiness  for  instant  use. 

"  In  hunting  whales  the  natives  use  the  '  oomiak.'  They  use  spears, 
with  heads  of  flint  or  walrus  ivory,  pointed  with  iron;  the  pole  is 
about  six  feet  long,  and  attached  to  it  by  a  line  of  seal-thongs  is  a 
seal-skin  poke.  A  number  of  these  spears  being  thrown  into  the 
whale,  the  pokes  prevent  him  from  going  far  below  the  surface,  and 
enable  the  hunters  to  track  him,  and  be  on  hand  to  kill  him  "vv^hen  he 
comes  up  to  breathe.  The  carcass,  including  flesh  and  blubber,'  is  used 
for  food,  and  is  the  property  of  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the 
settlement ;  the  bone,  however,  belongs  to  those  who  took  part  in  the 
capture.  The  maxillary  bones  of  the  whale  are  cut  into  strips  used 
for  shoeing  the  runners  of  their  sleds,  and  for  this  purpose  are  said  to 
be  superior  to  iron  or  steel. 


A  TRAVELLING   FAMILY. 


443 


"These  natives  are  nomadic  in  their  habits ;  although  they  have  win- 
ter-houses, to  which  they  return  each  fall,  they  travel  all  summer. 
Their  manner  of  travelling  is  peculiar  to  themselves;  they  use  the 
oomiak,  in  which  is  stowed  everything  belonging  to  the  entire  family, 
except  the  working-dogs. 

"This  oomiak  is  a  boat  built  of  walrus-hide  or  seal-skin  drawn  over  a 
wooden  frame  about  thirty  feet  long,  six  feet  wide,  and  two  and  a  half 
feet  deep.  The  frame  is  fastened  with  seal-skin  thongs,  and  made  with 
slip-joints,  to  allow  it  to  work  in  a  sea-way.  They  are  flat-bottomed, 
sharp  at  both  ends,  and  with  very  little  shear.  The  men  use  paddles 
and  the  women  oars ;  they  carry  a  square  sail.  An  ordinary  oomiak 
contains,  in  addition  to  the  stock- 
in-trade  of  oil,  skins,  etc.,  a  tent  of 
drilling  or  deer-skin,  guns,  traps, 
spears,  bows  and  arrows,  a  kayak,  a 
seal-skin  poke  filled  with  water,  a 
quantity  of  dried  meat,  a  sled,  sev- 
eral pairs  of  snow-shoes,  a  fish-net, 
and  several  smaller  nets  for  catch- 
ing birds,  a  large  drum  on  a  pole 
for  the  use  of  the  'shaman,'  and  several  seal-skin  bags  containing  skin 
clothing. 

"  On  first  approaching  a  vessel,  one  native  stands  up  in  the  bow  of 
the  oomiak,  and  extends  his  arms  at  full  length,  raises  them  until  the 
hands  meet  above  the  head,  then,  with  the  arms  still  extended,  he  drops 
them  to  his  side.  This  he  repeats  several  times,  each  time  saying 
'nakouruck'  (good).  If  the  same  sign  is  made  in  return,  they  ap- 
proach the  vessel  at  once  without  fear ;  if  not  answered,  they  approach 
cautiously,  from  time  to  time  repeating  the  sign. 

"  The  personnel  consists  of  three  or  four  men,  about  as  many  women, 
and  two  or  three  children.  Add  to  these  two  or  three  dogs,  each  with 
a  litter  of  puppies,  and  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  what  a  travelling 
oomiak  contains. 

"The  working-dogs  are  often  left  on  the  beach  to  follow  on  foot, 
which  thev  do,  keeping  up  a  continual  and  most  dismal  howl.     If  the 


OOMIAK. 


444  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

wind  comes  in  ahead,  and  the  natives  desire,  for  any  reason,  to  continue 
their  journey,  they  paddle  in  near  the  shore,  harness  their  dogs,  and 
attach  them  to  the  oomiak,  after  the  manner  of  a  canal-boat  and  horses, 
settle  themselves  in  the  boat,  and  saying  '  nakouruck,'  (good !)  go  on 
their  way  at  the  rate  of  four  or  five  miles  an  hour,  with  no  other  effort 
than  steering  with  the  paddle,  wondering,  probably,  why  white  men 
will  build  '  oomiak-paks,'  (large  vessels),  when  the  native  style  of 
travel  is  so  much  more  simple  and  economical.  When  they  wish  to 
stop  for  a  night  or  day,  they  land,  pitch  their  tent,  take  everything  out 
of  the  oomiak,  and  turn  it  up  on  the  beach,  where  they  are  quite  as 
much  at  home  as  in  their  winter-houses;  men,  women,  children,  and 
dogs  forming  a  happy,  noisy,  dirty  family.  They  eat  when  they  feel 
hungry,  which  seems  to  be  nearlj'^  all  the  time,  and  sleep  without  regard 
to  time.  The  dogs  eat  when  they  can,  and  steal  anything  they  can  get 
their  teeth  through.' 

LANGUAGE.    ' 

"  The  native  language  differs  very  materially  in  different  localities. 
Our  interpreter  from  St.  Michael's  was  of  no  use  to  us  north  of  Kot- 
zebue  Sound,  and  even  there  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  understand  the 
dialect.  The  change  is  gradual.  At  each  settlement,  from  Cape  Prince 
of  Wales  north,  we  observed  a  slight  difference ;  the  sound  of  words 
changed  so  as  to  be  almost  unrecognizable,  or  the  words  were  dropped 
entirely  and  new  ones  substituted,  until  almost  an  entire  change  had 
been  effected  in  the  language ;  so  that  a  vocabulary  made  at  Cape 
Prince  of  Wales  would  be  almost  useless  at  Point  Hope,  and  entirely 
so  at  Icy  Cape  or  Point  Barrow.  A  few  substantives  alone  remain  the 
same  all  along  the  coast." 

SUPERSTITIONS. 

"The  religious  belief  of  the  Innuit  is  of  a  crude,  indefinite  nature,  to 
the  effect  that  there  is  a  Power  which  rewards  good  Innuits  and  pun- 
ishes bad  ones,  after  death,  by  sending  them  to  different  places.  At 
some  localities  they  told  us  that  the  good  went  to  a  place  above,  while 
at  others  it  was  thought  that  the  place  was  below.     They  have  only  a 


SUPERSTITION.  445 

confused  idea  of  the  subject,  however,  and  seemed  anxious  to  avoid 
speaking  of  it  any  more  than  was  necessary.  Their  belief  evidently 
teaches  nothing  of  truthfulness,  honesty,  or  other  virtue,  or  that  clean- 
liness is  next  to  godliness. 

"'Shamanism '  is  followed  by  all  these  people,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  numerous  tricks  practised  upon  them,  they  seem  to  have  implicit 
faith  in  it.  Even  the  '  shamans '  themselves  show  an  earnestness  in  their 
work  that  makes  us  wonder,  after  all,  if  there  is  not  some  virtue  in  it. 
Wrangell,  who  seems  to  have  given  the  subject  some  attention,  says : 

"  The  '  shamans '  have  been  represented  as  being  universally  mere 
knavish  deceivers,  and  no  doubt  this  is  true  of  many  of  them  who  go 
about  the  country  exhibiting  all  kinds  of  juggling  tricks  to  obtain 
presents;  but  the  history  of  not  a  few  is,  I  believe,  very  different. 
Certain  individuals  are*  born  with  ardent  imaginations  and  excitable 
nerves.  They  grow  up  amid  a  general  belief  in  ghosts,  '  shamans,'  and 
mysterious  powers  exercised  by  the  latter.  The  credulous  youth  is 
strongly  affected,  and  aspires  to  participate  in  these  supernatural  com- 
munications and  powers,  but  no  one  can  teach  him  how  he  can  do  so. 
He  retires,  therefore,  from  his  fellows ;  his  imagination  is  powerfully 
wrought  upon  by  solitude,  by  the  contemplation  of  the  gloomy  aspect 
of  surrounding  nature,  by  long  vigils  and  fasts,  and  by  the  use  of  nar- 
cotics and  stimulants,  uiitil  he  becomes  persuaded  that  he,  too,  has 
seen  the  mysterious  apparitions  of  which  he  has  heard  from  his  boy- 
hood. He  is  then  received  as  a  '  shaman,'  with  many  ceremonies  per- 
formed in  the  silence  and  darkness  of  the  night ;  is  given  the  magic 
drum,  etc.  Still  all  his  actions  continue,  as  before,  to  be  the  result  of 
his  individual  character.  A  true  'shaman,'  therefore,  is  not  an  ordi- 
nary deceiver,  but  rather  a  psychological  phenomenon,  by  no  means 
unworthy  of  attention.  Always,  after  seeing  them  operate,  they  have 
left  on  my  mind  a  long-continued  and  gloomy  impression  ;  the  wild 
look,  the  bloodshot  eye,  the  laboring  breast,  the  convulsive  utterance, 
the  seemingl}'^  involuntary  distortion  of  the  face  and  whole  body,  the 
streaming  hair,  the  hollow  sound  of  the  drum  —  all  conspired  to  pro- 
duce the  effect ;  and  I  can  well  conceive  that  these  should  appear  to 
the  ignorant  and  superstitious  savage  as  the  work  of  evil  spirits." 


446  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

"While  walking  around  the  village,"  says  Hooper,  "we  were  notified 
that  a  sick  man  occupied  one  of  the  tents,  and  that  a  'shaman'  was  then 
engaged  in  an  attempt  to  drive  out  the  evil  spirit  which  had  possessed 
him.  We  were  requested  not  to  go  to  that  part  of  the  village,  as  it  might 
have  a  bad  effect.  I  told  them  that  our  surgeon,  who  was  present,  was 
a  'shaman,'  and  asked  tliem  to  allow  him  to  see  the  sick  man,  and  hold 
a  consultation  with  the  'shaman.'  After  some  persuasion,  they  con- 
sented to  ask  the  'shaman'  if  such  an  arrangement  would  be  agree- 
able to  him,  and  one  of  them  advanced  alone  to  the  sick  man's  tent. 
He  returned  after  a  few  minutes,  and  said  we  might  go  as  far  as  the 
entrance,  but  must  remain  outside.  The  sick  man  was  brought  to  the 
entrance,  and  found  to  be  suffering  from  paralysis  of  the  left  side  and 
a  skin  disease.  He  was  a  most  pitiable  object.  The  surgeon  left  some 
medicine  for  him,  but  it  is  probable  that  the  '  shaman '  did  not  allow 
him  to  take  it,  and  that  he  did  not  long  survive  the  native  treatment." 


TOBACCO   SMOKING. 

"The  natives  are  inveterate  smokers.  I  believe  that  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  in  Arctic-Alaska  smokes  a  pipe.  They  manufacture 
their  own  pipes  of  brass,  copper,  and  iron.  The  stem  is  of  wood,  about 
ten  inches  long,  and  is  in  two  pieces  bound  together  with  strips  of 
whalebone  or  sinew.  The  bowls  are  often  made  of  two  or  three  kinds 
of  metal,  as  neatly  joined  as  could  be  done  by  any  jeweller.  A  small 
skin  bag,  hung  from  the  neck,  holds  the  pipe,  and  a  smaller  bag, 
tobacco,  flint,  and  steel,  also  a  quantity  of  wild  cotton,  soaked  in  a 
solution  of  gunpowder,  which  is  used  as  tinder.  A  sharp-pointed  piece 
of  metal,  used  for  cleaning  the  pipe,  is  attached  to  the  stem  with  a 
thong.  In  using  the  pipe,  a  small  quantity  of  hair  from  an  at-te-ghe^ 
Or  other  convenient  skin,  is  put  in  the  bottom  of  the  bowl,  and  over 
this  some  finely-cut  tobacco,  the  bowl  holding  only  a  small  pinch.  The 
pipe  is  lighted  with  flint,  steel,  and  tinder,  and  the  native  commences 
to  draw  vigorously,  swallowing  the  smoke,  which  he  retains  in  his  lungs 
as  long  as  possible.  A  fit  of  coughing  follows,  which  I  at  first  thought 
would  certainly  terminate  the  life  of  the  smoker  in  several  instances. 


THE   "JEANNETTE."  447 

It  is  not  an  unusual  occurrence  for  a  native,  who  has  been  without 
tobacco  for  a  long  time,  to  retain  the  smoke  in  his  lungs  until  he  falls 
over  senseless,  having  the  appearance  of  a  person  under  the  influence 
of  opium.  This  state  lasts  but  a  few  minutes,  when  the  same  perfor- 
mance is  again  gone  through  with." 

Citations  of  equal  interest  with  the  preceding  might  be  largely  ex- 
tended from  this  report  of  Captain  Hooper's  of  the  date  of  Nov.  1, 
1880  ("  Treasury  Department,  No.  118  "  ).  The  reader  is  referred  to 
the  Report  in  full,  and  to  the  Medical,  Anthropological,  Botanical,  and 
Ornithological  Notes  and  Memoranda,  written  by  Surgeon  Rosse,  Pro- 
fessor John  Muir  of  California,  and  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson ;  published  as 
"Executive  Document  105,  House  of  Representatives,"  the  only  por- 
tion of  the  full  Report  of  the  Second  Cruise  of  the  "Corwin,"  1881,  as 
yet  ordered  for  publication  by  Congress. 

In  closing  the  first  Report,  Captain  Hooper  expressed  himself  as  at 
first  in  doubt  as  to  the  safety  of  the  "  Jeannette."  He  considered  the 
ship  to  be  a  stronger  and  better  fitted  vessel  for  the  Arctic  Seas  than  any 
of  the  whalers,  and  her  crew  thoroughly  equipped  for  sledge  travel ;  and 
thought  that  if  DeLong  found  himself  compelled  to  abandon  the  ship 
in  the  last  extremity,  he  could  reach  Plover  Bay,  or  St.  Lawrence  Bay, 
or  some  other  point  on  the  Asiatic  coast  where  they  would  be  well 
cared  for  by  the  Tchuktchis.  But  his  experience  on  this  cruise  com- 
pelled him  more  than  once  to  state  also,  that  to  attain  a  high  latitude 
with  a  vessel  in  that  part  of  the  Arctic  must  be  seldom  possible.  No 
whaler  had"  ever  been  known  to  reach  the  74° ;  and  nowhere  within 
the  Arctic  Circle  does  the  ice  remain  permanently  so  far  south  as  be- 
tween Wrangell  Land  and  Point  Barrow. 

THE  SECOND   CRUISE  OF  THE  "CORWIN,"  MAY  4  TO  OCT.  20,  1881.* 

The  instructions  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  for  the  second 
cruise  of  the  "Corwin"  bore  the  date  of  April  21,  1881.     The  first 

♦  By  the  courtesy  of  Major  E.  W.  Clark,  Chief  of  the  Revenue  Marine  Service 
Treasury  Department,  the  writer  has  had  access  to  the  unpublislied  official  report  of  this 
cruise,  from  the  large  amount  of  information  supplied  by  which  this  narrative  is  made  up. 


448  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

object  set  out  in  these  was  again  the  enforcement  of  the  provisions  of 
U.  S.  Laws,  and  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  U.  S.  Government 
on  the  seal  islands  and  sea-otter  hunting  grounds  in  Alaskan  waters. 
Additionally  the  instructions  read,  "  No  information  having  been  re- 
ceived concerning  the  whalers  '  Mount  Wollaston  '  and  '  Vigilant,'  you 
will  bear  in  mind  the  instructions  for  your  cruise  of  last  year,  and  it  is 
hoped  you  may  bring  back  some  tidings  of  the  missing  vessels.  You 
will  also  make  careful  inquiries  in  the  Arctic  regarding  the  progress 
and  whereabouts  of  the  steamer  '  Jeannette,'  engaged  in  making  explo- 
rations under  command  of  Lieutenant-Commander  DeLong,  U.  S.  N., 
and  will,  if  practicable,  communicate  with  and  extend  any  needed  assis- 
tance to  that  vessel.  .  .  .  You  will  in  your  season's  cruise  touch  at  such 
places  as  may  be  practicable  on  the  mainland  or  islands  where  there 
are  settlements  of  natives,  and  examine  into  and  report  upon  their 
condition. 

"While  cruising  in  the  Arctic  Sea  you  will  make  careful  observations 
as  to  currents,  tides,  etc.,  and  will  keep  an  accurate  record  of  such 
soundings,  surveys,  etc.,  as  you  may  be  able  to  make ;  and  you  will 
obtain  such  information  as  may  be  practicable  regarding  the  numbers, 
character,  occupations,  and  general  condition  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
adjacent  coasts.  .  .  .  You  are  permitted  in  your  discretion  to  remain  in 
the  Arctic  Ocean  as  late  in  the  season  as  may  be  necessary  to  accom- 
plish the  object  of  your  voyage,  without  encountering  undue  hazard  to 
your  command." 

The  senior  officers  of  this  cruise  were  :  Captain  C.  L.  Hooper  ;  First 
Lieutenant,  W.  J.  Herring ;  Second  Lieutenant,  E.  Burke ;  Surgeon, 
Irving  C.  Rosse ;  Scientist,  Prof.  John  Muir  of  California. 

May  4,  the  "  Corwin  "  sailed  from  San  Francisco,  accompanied  out 
of  the  harbor  by  the  revenue  steamers  "  Rush  "  and  "  Hartley,"  and  a 
number  of  the  San  Francisco  Yacht  Fleet.  Heavy  gales  and  snow 
storms  were  encountered  on  the  16th,  compelling,  with  the  strong 
current  running  against  the  northwest  gale,  a  turn  back  and  run  into 
Beaver  Harbor,  which  affords  ample  protection,  having  several  good 
anchorages  near  the  shore.  The  Onalga  Pass  between  Ounalaska  and 
the  Onalga  Islands  was  preferred   by  Captain  Hooper  to  either  the 


OUNALASKA.  449 

Oumak  or  the  Akoutan  pass,  as  containing  no  hidden  dangers  and 
safely  navigable  for  all  classes  of  vessels  except  as  when  first  attempted 
by  the  "  Corwin"  when  a  strong  gale  was  blowing  against  the  current ; 
it  was  successfully  sailed  through  on  the  17th,  and  at  Ounalaska  the 
oak  sheathing  of  the  ship,  which  had  started,  was  repaired.  The  ship 
took  in  a  supply  of  coal,  and  purchased  from  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company  nine  months'  extra  provisions. 

The  natives  at  Ounalaska  were  suffering  from  an  epidemic,  — pleuro- 
pneumonia, —  from  which  a  large  part  of  the  population  had  died,  and 
the  only  physician  of  the  place  being  dangerously  ill,  the  sick  received 
assistance  from  the  surgeon  of  the  "Corwin."  The  settlement  of 
Ounalaska  or  lUialook  is  the  largest  commercial  port  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands,  and  the  principal  depot  of  the  "Alaska  Commercial"  and 
the  "  Western  Fur  and  Trading "  Companies.  The  town  Illialook 
had  before  this  epidemic,  a  population  of  three  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  souls,  only  eight  of  whom  were  Americans ;  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  were  Creoles,  and  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  Aleuts. 
There  is  a  resident  priest,  and  a  school  conducted  by  one  of  the 
church  officials,  but  irregularly  attended,  nor  do  the  parents  care 
about  any  instruction  in  English  for  their  children. 

Sailing  from  Ounalaska  May  22,  the  ship  reached  St.  Paul's  the  day 
following,  finding  there  as  at  Ounalaska  that  the  preceding  winter  had 
been  mild  and  the  snow  light.  The  thermometer  had  but  once  regis- 
tered below  zero.  From  this  point  Captain  Hooper,  remembering  the 
rough  experience  of  his  first  cruise  when  trying  to  make  a  northing 
along  the  east  side  of  Bering  Sea,  determined  to  keep  if  possible  to  the 
westward  of  the  pack.  On  the  24th,  in  lat.  58°  43'  N.,  long.  171°  26'  E., 
the  temperature  of  the  water  fell  to  32°,  and  ice  was  sighted  from  the 
deck.  Finding  it  so  far  south,  the  "  Corwin  "  shaped  her  course  for 
Cape  Thaddeus,  Siberia.  On  the  27th  she  was  at  the  moutli  of  Anadir 
Gulf,  the  wind  blowing  hard  from  the  northward  with  a  short  heavy 
sea  running ;  the  course  was  shaped  for  St.  Lawrence  Island,  which 
was  found  covered  with  snow  and  almost  surrounded  by  ice.  The 
wretched  condition  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  island  was  first  reported 
by  the  late  Captain  George  W.  Bailey  of  the  revenue  steamer  "  Rush,"* 


450  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

from  information  received  by  him  at  Ounalaska ;  he  was  unable  to  visit 
them.  The  fearful  decrease  of  its  population  has  already  been 
named  in  the  first  cruise  of  the  "  Corwin."  The  facts  now  learned  of 
that  suffering  were  still  more  distressing.  Eight  hundred  had  perished. 
Mr.  Nelson  now  collected  one  hundred  crania  for  the  Smithsonian. 

The  natives  seemed  overjoyed  at  the  return  of  the  ship,  firing  guns, 
Bhouting,  etc.  They  came  on  board  in  large  numbers  and  reported  that 
the  weather  during  the  past  winter  having  been  mild,  they  had  experi- 
enced no  difficulty  in  supplying  themselves  with  food. 

Taking  on  board  two  families  who  desired  to  reach  the  Siberian 
coast,  the  "  Corwin  "  sailed  for  Plover  Bay,  where  she  first  learned 
from  Captain  Lapham  of  the  whaling  barque  "  Rainbow,"  news  of  the 
whaling  ships,  "  Mount  Wollaston  "  and  "  Vigilant,"  searched  for  on  a 
former  cruise.  A  report  had  come  from  the  natives  at  East  Cape  and 
other  points  along  the  coasts,  that  a  party  of  Tchuktchis,  whilst  sealing 
on  the  ice  near  Cape  Serdze-Kamen,  had  discovered  a  wreck  believed 
to  be  one  of  the  whalers.  Captain  Hooper  determined  to  dispatch  a 
sledge  party  in  that  direction  to  make  inquiries  for  the  ships  and  also 
for  the  "  Jeannette."  Engaging  therefore  at  Marcus  Bay  for  an  inter- 
preter, a  native  who  spoke  some  English,  Hooper  steamed  through  the 
drift-ice  and  passing  Cape  Tchaplin,  anchored  on  the  29th  on  the  south 
side  of  St.  Lawrence  Bay.  Here  an  old  man  gave  the  most  detailed 
story  of  the  wreck  of  the  "  Mount  Wollaston,"  which,  however,  Hooper 
was  soon  led  to  believe,  was  almost  entirely  manufactured  for  the  sake 
of  reward. 

"  Finding,"  says  the  Captain,  "  that  we  could  get  nothing  but  lies 
from,  the  St.  Lawrence  Bay  natives,  we  steered  for  the  Diomede  Islands, 
where  again  the  natives  came  on  board  in  large  numbers  and  were  very 
anxious  to  trade."  One  called  for  whiskey,  and  upon  being  told  that 
we  did  not  sell  whiskey,  answered  promptly,  "  I  believe  you  lie."  As 
soon  as  it  became  known  to  them  that  we  wished  to  purchase  dogs,  a 
raid  was  made  on  all  the  aged,  female,  and  useless  dogs  of  every  de- 
scription in  the  settlement,  and  boat-load  after  boat-load  arrived  until 
we  were  almost  compelled  to  use  force  to  stop  them  from  bringing  the 
animals  on  board.     With  tiie  interpreter  Joe's  assistance,  who  passed 


nordenskiold's  winter  quarters.  451 

judgment  on  them  by  saying,  "  That  dog  no  good,"  or,  "This  good,"  the 
required  number  of  the  best  were  selected,  and  the  natives  were  in- 
formed that  no  more  were  wanted,  and  that  the  rejected  ones  must  be 
taken  out  of  the  ship.  This  last  order  Joe  proceeded  to  carry  out  by 
picking  them  up  by  the  back  and  dropping  into  the  boats  without 
regard  to  the  howls  and  snarls  of  the  dogs,  or  the  expostulations  of 
their  owners.  We  had  succeeded  in  getting  nineteen  good  dogs  with 
two  sleds ;  paying  for  all  twenty-one  sacks  of  flour.  We  also  bought 
some  fur  clothing,  boots,  and  some  wah-us  tusks,  paying  for  them  in 
tobacco  and  ammunition." 

May  31  the  "  Corwin  "  made  Cape  Serdze  Karaen,  but  found  a  rim 
of  ice  from  five  to  thirty  feet  high,  extending  from  two  to  three  miles 
off  shore.  Communicating  with  some  natives  who  were  out  on  the  ice 
sealing.  Hooper  engaged  one  of  them  to  accompany  him  in  quest  of 
further  information,  and  went  off  with  him  on  his  sled  to  the  native 
settlement.  Here  "  deer-skins  were  spread  on  the  ground  for  us  to  rest 
on,  and  a  pair  of  mittens  of  peculiar  make  presented  to  each.  We 
visited  several  of  the  houses  and  were  received  in  a  most  friendly  man- 
ner by  all  their  occupants.  This  settlement  is  near  the  wintering- 
place  of  the  'Vega'  in  1878-9.  In  one  of  the  houses  we  were  shown  a 
silver  fork  and  spoon  which  had  been  presented  to  one  of  the  old  men 
by  Professor  Nordenskiold,  for  whom  they  all  seemed  to  entertain  a 
friendly  feeling,  and  who  was  called  by  them  'Captain  Enshall.'" 

June  1,  leaving  this  settlement  (^Tapkan)^  lat.  69°  28',  long.  175° 
10'  W.,  Hooper  came  to  solid  ice  ahead,  and  on  the  starboard-bow, 
showing  that  he  had  come  to  the  end  of  the  lead.  He  was  very  near 
being  nipped  in  the  rapidly  closing  ice,  which,  through  the  thick  snow 
could  be  seen  no  further  than  the  ship's  length ;  shortly  after  midnight 
he  was  entirely  surrounded,  and  in  working  out  by  the  engine,  lost 
every  pintle  of  the  rudder.  Caught  in  the  end  of  a  rapidly  closing 
lead,  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  open  water  in  a  howling  gale 
and  without  a  rudder,  destruction  at  first  seemed  inevitable,  but,  after 
several  hours  of  hard  work,  steering  by  the  sails,  the  ship  was  got  into 
the  open  lead  again  and  a  jury-rudder  prepared.  Believing  that  if  the 
northerly  wind  continued  it  would  be  but  a  few  hours  before  the  pack 


462  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

would  rest  against  the  shore,  the  "  Corwin "  steamed  slowly  to  the 
south  and  ease,  for,  to  have  been  caught  between  the  pack  and  shore 
ice  would  be  certain  destruction  for  any  vessel,  no  matter  how  strongly 
built.  Koliutchin  Island  was  soon  seen  at  the  distance  of  about  ten 
miles,  and  a  consultation  with  the  natives  was  held  which  ended  in  the 
advice,  that  the  ice  was  practicable  for  the  sledge  party  to  search  for 
the  whalers  and  the  "  Jeannette."  The  native  consultation  had  ended 
in  a  grunt,  which  Joe  interpreted,  "  He  think  it  pretty  good." 

The  search  party  consisted  of  First  Lieutenant  Herring,  Third 
Lieutenant  Reynolds,  Coxswain  Gessler,  and  two  natives ;  their  out- 
fit included  twenty-five  dogs,  four  sleds,  one  skin  boat,  one  tent,  one 
coal-oil  stove,  and  furniture,  with  five  gallons  of  oil,  five  skin  coats, 
three  pair  of  skin  trousers,  six  pairs  seal-skin  boots,  two  deer-skins,  and 
two  rubber  blankets,  an  aneroid  barometer,  thermometer,  marine  glass, 
boat  compass,  lead,  and  line,  etc.,  one  hatchet,  sail  needles  and  twine, 
fifteen  yards  cotton  canvass,  a  quantity  of  seal-skin  line  for  securing 
loads  to  the  sledges,  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  bread,  ten 
pounds  of  coffee,  ten  pounds  sugar,  fifty  pounds  dried  potatoes,  eight}'- 
pounds  of  pemmican,  three  rifles,  three  revolvers,  and  a  shot  gun  with 
an  abundance  of  ammunition. 

Instructions  were  given  to  Lieutenant  Herring  to  proceed  along  the 
coast  as  far  as  practicable,  communicating  with  the  natives  at  each 
settlement,  and  if  possible  to  find  the  parties  who  were  said  to  have 
discovered  the  wrecks,  and  gather  all  facts  in  connection  with  it  that 
could  in  any  way  throw  light  on  the  fate  of  the  missing  whalers  or  the 
"Jeannette."  The  party  was  to  return  to  the  "Corwin"  at  Cape 
Serdze  Kamen. 

Seeing  them  fairly  started,  the  "Corwin"  was  headed  south  for 
Plover  Bay,  Siberia,  to  repair  the  rudder.  After  visiting  St.  Michael's, 
Norton  Sound,  Captain  Hooper  returned  to  Cape  Serdze,  and  took  the 
land  excursionists  on  board.  They  harl  been  absent  twenty-eight 
days,  and  had  been  along  the  Asiatic  coast  to  a  place  called  Cape  Wan- 
keram,  where  they  found  parties  who  had  boarded  the  wreck,  and 
obtained  from  them  a  number  of  articles  taken  from  it,  which  were 
afterward  identified  at  San  Francisco  as  belonging,  some  to  the  missing 


THE  LOST   WHALERS.  453 

whaling  bark  "  Vigilant,"  and  others  to  Captain  Nye,  of  the  "  Mount 
Wollaston."  It  would  seem  that  both  crews  had  been  on  board  the 
"  Vigilant."  It  is  not  unlikely  that  both  vessels  being  caught,  it  was 
decided  by  their  captains,  who  were  skilful  sailors  and  men  of  great 
courage  and  energy,  to  unite  their  forces  on  the  best  vessel,  and  that  a 
subsequent  break-up  of  the  ice  released  it,  and  enabled  them  to  reach 
some  point  near  where  the  wreck  was  discovered  before  again  becom- 
ing embayed  and  lost. 

The  statement  made  by  the  natives,  was  that  they  were  out  sealing 
on  the  ice,  when,  seeing  a  dark  object,  they  approached  it,  and  it  was 
found  to  be  the  hull  of  a  vessel,  with  mast,  bulwarks,  and  boats  gone, 
and  the  hold  partly  filled  with  water.  In  the  cabin  were  four  corpses, 
three  on  the  floor  and  one  in  a  berth.  After  taking  what  they  could 
carry  home,  night  coming  on,  they  left  the  wreck,  with  the  intention  of 
returning  in  the  morning ;  but  during  the  night,  the  wind  which  had 
been  from  the  northward,  changed  to  southwest,  and  the  wreck  was  not 
seen  again,  having  drifted  away  or  sunk. 

The  sledge  parties  had  also  met  travelling  parties  of  Tchuktchis 
from  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Yukon,  on  their  way  to  East  Cape,  and  from 
them  learned  that  no  white  men  had  been  seen  on  the  coast.  These 
people  are  constantly  travelling  back  and  forth,  and  it  would  be  almost 
impossible  for  any  one  landing  on  the  coast  to  escape  their  notice 


LANDING   ON   HERALD  ISLAND. 

July  30,  Herald  Island  was  sighted ;  as  the  "  Corwin  "  aiiproached, 
the  ice  became  very  much  heavier,  and  the  difficulty  of  getting 
through  it  much  greater,  but  after  a  good  deal  of  bumping,  squeezing, 
and  twisting  around  through  narrow  crooked  leads,  and  occasionally 
charging  through  an  icy  barrier,  she  succeeded  in  reaching  the  island 
at  9.45  P.  M.,  and  made  fast  to  the  ground  ice  in  ten  fathoms  of  water, 
not  more  than  a  cable's  length  from  the  shore.  This  was  an  improve- 
ment on  the  four  attempts  of  her  first  cruise,  when  she  failed  to  get 
nearer  than  four  miles.  The  exploration  now  made  is  also  the  first  in 
the  history  of  this  island.     Captain  Kellett,  R.  N.,  of  the  "  Herald,"  the 


454 


AlVIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 


relief  ship  for  Franklin,  described  it  as  an  inaccessible  rock.  The 
American  party  were  eager  to  land  as  explorers.  As  soon  as  the  ves- 
sel was  made  fast,  a  general  rush  was  made  for  the  shore,  each  trying  to 
be  the  first  to  land.  The  rim  of  ice  was  probably  one  thousand  feet  in 
width,  and  full  of  hollows  and  hummocks,  but  after  many  falls,  with 
some  narrow  escapes  from  going  into  the  deep  crevices  which  run 
through  it  in  various  directions,  the  shore  was  reached,  and  a  general 
scramble  up  the  almost  perpendicular  rocks  followed.     While  this  was 


AN   AUCnC   RAVINE. 


being  done,  Professor  Muir,  an  experienced  mountaineer,  came  over  the 
ice  with  an  axe  in  his  hand,  and  reaching  the  island  a  few  hundred  feet 
further  north,  opposite  a  bank  of  frozen  snow  and  ice  one  hundred  feet 
high  and  standing  at  an  angle  of  fifty  degrees,  deliberately  commenced 
cutting  steps,  and  ascended  the  ice  cliff,  the  top  of  which  he  soon 
reached  without  apparent  difficulty ;  and  from  this  the  summit  of  the 
island  was  gained  by  a  gradual  ascent  neither  difficult  nor  dangerous. 
Muir's  practised  eye  had  selected  the  most  suitable  place  for  the  ascent 
before  the  ship  had  been  made  fast. 

Another  party  making  the  attempt  for  an  ascent  through  a  small 
steep  ravine  up  which  they  climbed,  succeeded  after  several  narrow 
escapes  from  falling  rocks,  in  reaching  the  top  of  the  ravine,  but  then 


COLLECTIONS   FOR  THE   SMITHSONIAN.  455 

found  that  their  ascent  was  scarcely  begun,  for  above  them,  was  a  plain 
surface  of  nearly  a  thousand  feet  high,  and  so  steep  that  the  rock  which 
covered  it,  at  the  slightest  touch  came  thundering  to  the  bottom. 
Hooper  had  now  to  interpose  his  authority,  and  order  a  retreat  for  the 
safety  of  this  party  whose  descent  was  made,  one  at  a  time,  the  upper 
ones  remaining  quiet  till  the  lower  ones  were  out  of  danger. 

The  top  of  the  island,  ordinarily  inaccessible,  under  the  skilful 
guidance  of  Professor  Muir,  had  been  thus  reached  by  a  large  party, 
and  everywhere  carefully  searched  for  traces  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  and 
missing  whalers.  All  prominent  points  were  carefully  examined  for 
cairns,  but  none  were  found,  or  anything  which  would  indicate  that  the 
island  had  ever  before  been  visited  by  human  beings. 

While  the  search  was  being  prosecuted  by  the  officers  and  men  from 
the  ship,  Professor  Muir  made  a  collection  of  plants,  studied  the  geo- 
logical character  of  the  island,  and  made  sketches ;  Mr.  Nelson  devoted 
himself  to  its  natural  history. 

The  Report  of  the  Smithsonian  for  1881  says :  "  In  summing  up  the 
direct  results  of  Mr.  Nelson's  work  in  the  North,  the  unbroken  series 
of  about  twelve  thousand  meteorological  observations  must  be  men- 
tioned first,  since  to  obtain  these  was  the  primary  object  of  his  resi- 
dence there.  In  addition  to  these  there  were  obtained  about  nine 
thousand  ethnological  specimens,  two  thousand  one  hundred  bird 
skins,  five  hundred  mammal  skins  and  skulls,  four  hundred  fishes,  and 
various  other  specimens,  beside  vocabularies  of  seven  or  eight  Eskimo 
dialects  with  accompanying  linguistic  notes,  and  a  large  amount  of 
manuscript  material  upon  all  the  branches  in  which  collections  were 
made.  Over  one  hundred  photographs  of  the  people  and  other  scenes 
were  secui-ed  during  the  last  year  of  his  residence  in  the  north.  'J'lie 
necessary  expenses  attending  this  work,  outside  those  appertaining 
strictly  to  the  meteorological  work,  were  met  by  an  allowance  from 
the  Institution,  where  the  specimens  are  stored  at  present  awaiting  the 
elaboration  of  the  Reports." 

Up  to  the  year  1870,  the  most  extensive  and  valuable  herbarium 


456  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

at  the  Smithsonian  had  been  the  collection  of  plants  made  during  the 
North  Pacific  P^xploring  Expedition,  under  command  of  Commanders 
Ringgold  and  Rodgers  (1853  to  1856),  by  Mr.  Charles  Wright,  an 
accomplished  botanist.  The  collections  in  every  branch  of  natural 
history,  botany,  etc.,  have  been  of  late  years  largely  extended  by  such 
explorers  as  Dall  and  Nelson.     (See  Smithsonian  Reports.) 

Notwithstanding  the  bleak  and  barren  appearance  of  the  island,  at 
a  distance  of  a  few  miles  on  its  summit  were  found  a  number  of  species 
of  plants,  while  every  rocky  projection  on  the  cliffs  seemed  covered 
with  nesting  birds,  gulls,  etc. ;  on  the  summit  snow  buntings  were  fly- 
ing merrily  from  rock  to  rock. 

On  the  top  of  the  east  end,  over  a  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  was 
a  bed  of  turfy  moss  about  one  hundred  yards  in  extent,  and  from  three 
to  four  feet  in  depth,  containing  a  number  of  holes,  which  at  first 
resembled  the  tracks  of  some  hoofed  animal,  but  which  upon  closer 
examination  proved  to  be  burrows  of  the  white  fox. 

"  The  entire  island  is  a  mass  of  granite,  with  the  exception  of  a  patch 
of  metamorphic  slate  near  the  centre,  and  no  doubt  owes  its  existence, 
with  so  considerable  a  height,  to  the  superior  resistance  this  granite 
offers  to  the  degrading  action  of  the  northern  ice  sheet,  traces  of  which 
are  plainly  shown.  Standing  as  it  does  alone  out  on  the  Polar  Sea,  it 
is  a  fine  glacial  monument.  The  island  is  about  six  miles  long  by  two 
wide ;  its  greatest  height  as  shown  by  an  accurately  tested  barometer 
is  one  thousand  two  hundred  feet." 

From  the  summit  a  good  view  was  offered  of  Wrangell  Land,  the  mag- 
netic bearing  of  its  extremity  being  given  by  Professor  Muir  as  south 
40° ;  west  and  south  70° ;  west  or  south  62°  26' ;  west  and  north  86° 
34'  N.  (true).  The  contour  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  land  was  clearly 
defined  as  about  forty  miles  distant,  but  further  away,  on  its  north  side 
a  blue  line  appeared  above  the  horizon  which  Muir  supposed  to  be  land 
extending  in  that  direction.  To  the  party  who  reached  the  summit  all 
sense  of  fatigue  vanished,  for  the  midnight  sun  was  shining  with  gleam- 
ing splendor,  coloring  all  the  waste  of  the  ice,  sea,  and  granite.  "  The 
hour,"  says  Muir,  "which  I  spent  alone  was  one  of  the  most  impressive 
of  my  life,  and  I  would  fain  have  watched  here  all  the  strange  night, 


kellett's  cruise.  457 

but  under  the  Captain's  charge,  hastened  to  begin  my  return  journey  at 
one  in  the  morning,  after  taking  the  compass  bearings  of  the  principal 
points  within  sight  on  Wrangell  Land." 

While  the  exploration  on  the  island  was  going  on,  the  "  Corwin  " 
steamed  around  to  the  north  side  in  a  clear  lead  between  the  grounded 
and  the  drift  ice,  and  made  an  examination  of  the  shore  line.  At 
2.30  A.  M.  all  hands  having  returned  to  the  vessel,  she  cast  off  from  the 
ground-ice  and  steamed  through  the  drift,  toward  clear  water,  which 
was  reached  about  6.30  A.  m.  The  "  Corwin  "  was  also  the  first  to  land 
here ;  the  first  of  explorers  to  approacli,  indeed,  very  near  this  island, 
the  bearings  of  which  were  afterward  so  fully  determined  by  Lieutenant 
Berry,  U.  S.  N.,  of  the  "  Rodgers."  The  fact  of  its  being  an  island  of 
small  extent  has  an  important  relation  to  our  knowledge  of  the  ice  bar- 
riers ;  the  harbor,  of  which  mention  will  be  hereafter  made,  may  prove 
a  refuge  to  the  whalers ;  but  possibly,  a  temptation  to  some  to  remain 
too  long  in  the  Arctic. 

EARLY  NOTES   OF   WRANGELL  LAND. 

The  first  notice  of  this  land  has  already  been  adverted  to  in  the 
account  of  the  Exploring  Expedition  of  Lieutenant  (late  Admiral) 
Rodgers,  U.  S.  N.,  1855.  In  the  "  Reported  Dangers  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean,"  compiled  by  Mr.  E.  R.  Knorr  of  the  U.  S.  Hydrographic 
Office,  will  be  found  the  following  notice :  — 

"The  existence  of  extensive  land  northwest  of  Bering's  Straits, 
which  had  been  reported  forty  years  ago  by  the  Tchuktchis  of  Cape 
Jakan  to  Lieutenant  (now  Admiral)  Wrangell  of  the  Russian  Navy, 
has  been  placed  beyond  doubt  by  the  recent  discoveries  of  Captain 
Long  and  Captain  Raynor.  It  is  very  important  in  the  interest  of 
whalers  as  well  as  for  the  promotion  of  geographical  knowledge  to 
obtain  all  the  information  of  it  which  fair  opportunity  (so  rare  in  that 
latitude)  may  place  within  the  reach  of  whaling-masters  when  near 
that  ground. 

"  Captain  (now  Admiral)  Kellett,  of  H.  B.  M.'s  ship  '  Herald,'  when 
in  search  for  Sir  John  Franklin  in  1849,  discovered,  and  landed  on 
Herald  Island,  and  cruising  in  that  vicinity  for  a  few  days  in  very  rough 


458  AlVEERICAN  EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

weather,  believed  he  saw  another  island,  named  by  him  Plover,  and 
also  more  extensive  laud  which  he  thought  to  be  the  land  reported  by 
Admiral  Wrangell. 

"  Lieutenant  (now  Rear-Admiral)  John  Rodgers,  U.  S.  N.,  while 
commanding  the  U.  S.  North  Pacific  Survey  Expedition  in  1855,  en- 
deavored, in  the  flag-ship  '  Vincennes,'  to  verify  these  discoveries ;  he 
also  landed  on  Herald  Island  (the  southeast  end  of  which  was  found 
to  be  in  lat.  71°  21'  N.,  and  long.  175°  39'  W.),  and  evidently  pene- 
trated further  to  the  northward  and  to  the  westward  than  Admiral 
Kellett  had  done,  but,  although  favored  most  of  the  time  by  beautifully 
clear  weather,  he  could  not  see  anj'"  land  or  any  appearance  of  land,, 
except  Herald  Island.  The  land  enumerated  then  shown  on  the 
British  charts  (but  now  omitted)  was  conclusively  proved  not  to  exist, 
as  the  'Vincennes'  anchored  over  night  in  lat.  72°  02'  27",  long.  174°^ 
37'  W.,  where,  on  the  following  morning,  with  a  horizon  clear  for  a 
radius  of  at  least  thirty  miles,  no  land  was  in  sight.  To  the  west  of 
Herald  Island,  the  progress  of  the  '  Vincennes '  was  barred  by  field  ice 
when  about  seven  miles  from  the  position  assigned  to  Plover  Island^ 
which  surely  would  have  been  seen  if  existing.  Subsequently  the 
position  of  Wrangell  Land  was  approached  from  the  southeast  to 
within  a  few  miles,  when  again  an  impenetrable  barrier  of  packed  ice 
was  met  with;  very  thick  weather  also  had  set  in,  in  the  meantime, 
which  prevailed  for  more  than  a  week,  thus  preventing  the  discoveries 
which  twelve  years  afterward  were  made  but  thirty  miles  north  of  the 
*  Vincennes'  track." 

THE  FIRST   AUTHENTIC  ACCOUNT. 

Captain  Long,  of  the  whaling  barque  "  Nile,"  in  1867  gave  the  first 
authentic  account  of  the  land  in  question.  After  making  its  southwest 
point  in  long.  178°  30'  E.,  he  sailed  along  the  south  coast  for  two  days, 
until  he  made  what  he  believed  to  be  the  southeast  point  in  lat.  70° 
40'  N.,  and  long.  178°  57'  W.,  when  he  turned  south  toward  the  straits. 
But  Captain  Raynor  of  the  "  Reindeer "  having  also  faUen  in  with 
that  land  at  nearly  the  same  time,  and  placed  the  southwest  point 
in  lat.  70°  50'  N.,  and  long.  178°  15'  E.,  states  the  southeast  point  to  be 


CAPTAINS   LONG  AND  RAYNOR.  459 

in  lat.  71°  10'  N.,  and  long.  176°  40'  W.  (more  than  two  degrees  further 
east-northeast  than  Long's  position)  from  whence,  he  says,  the  coast 
turns  first  northwestward  for  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  then  northeast, 
and  higher  up  apparently  northeastward.  The  southeast  point  of  Cap- 
tain Long,  named  by  him  Cape  Hawaii,  therefore  is,  in  all  probability, 
the  south  point,  from  which  the  land  bends  to  northward  and  then 
again  eastward  to  the  southeast  point  of  Captain  Raynor,  from  whence 
it  turns  to  the  mountains  which  are  shown  on  the  charts  as  seen  from 
the  "Herald."  Captain  Bliven,  of  the  "Nautilus,"  reports  to  have 
seen  land  to  the  northeast  of  Herald  Island  as  high  as  lat.  72°  00'  N. 
The  land,  according  to  Captain  Long's  description,  presents  the  features 
of  the  opposite  Asiatic  coast.  Table  mountains  separated  by  valleys, 
ascend  directly  from  the  shore  to  a  considerable  elevation  ;  the  middle 
one,  apparently,  a  volcano,  he  estimated  to  be  two  thousand  four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  feet  high  ;  he  believes  he  had  seen  verdure  and  a  large 
black  place  on  the  slope  of  one  of  the  hills  resembling  coal ;  and  he 
concludes  that  the  land  is  inhabited,  or  that  at  least  reindeer  may  be 
found  there.  Captain  Raynor,  on  the  contrary,  states  that  to  him  the 
coast,  which  was  nearly  straight,  with  high,  rugged  clifis,  appeared  to 
be  entirely  barren. 

The  full  report  of  Captains  Long  and  Raynor  first  appeared  in  the 
"  Honolulu  Commercial  Advertiser  "  in  November,  1867.  It  is  here 
given  to  the  credit  of  our  Merchant  Marine.  The  "Advertiser"  says: 
"  One  of  the  most  interesting  items  that  we  have  learned  from  the 
whalemen  who  have  cruised  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  the  past  summer  is 
the  discovery  of  extensive  land  in  the  middle  of  that  ocean,  which  may 
yet  prove  to  be  a  Polar  continent.  The  existence  of  this  land  has  long 
been  known,  but  owing  to  the  impassable  ice  hatred  along  its  shores, 
of  its  extent  and  character  nothing  very  definite  has  been  known  until 
this  season.  Baron  Wrangell,  the  famous  Russian  explorer,  first  com- 
municated to  the  world  the  knowledge  of  its  existence  as  he  learned  it 
from  the  Siberian  Indians,  and  it  is  simply  marked  on  most  Arctic 
charts  'extensive  highland.' 

"It  should  be  stated  that  the  past  summer  has  been  the  mildest 
and  most  favorable  for  whaling  ever  known  by  oldest  whalemen.    One 


460  AMERICAK   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

master  says  that  he  did  not  see  a  piece  of  ice  as  large  as  his  hand  till  he 
reached  the  straits,  and  even  beyond  that,  up  to  72*^,  the  sea  was  gener- 
ally free  from  floating  ice.  The  weather,  for  the  most  part,  has  been 
exceedingly  mild,  with  southerly  winds  prevailing,  which  has  tended  to 
melt  the  ice  or  drive  it  northward.  As  a  result  of  the  favorable  state 
of  the  ocean  and  weather,  the  ships  have  gone  further  north  this  sum- 
mer than  ever  before,  some  having  reached  as  high  as  lat.  73°  30'. 

"  Captain  Long,  of  the  barque  '  Nile,'  who  seems  to  have  examined 
the  land  most  attentively,  having  cruised  along  the  entire  southern 
coast,  has  drawn  a  sketch  of  its  appearance.  It  is  quite  elevated  and 
near  the  centre  has  an  extinct  crater  cone  which  he  estimated  to  be  two 
thousand  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high.  He  named  it  Wrangell's 
Land,  after  the  noted  Russian  explorer.  The  west  point  he  named 
Cape  Thomas ;  the  southwest  point  Cape  Hawaii.  The  names  given 
by  Captain  Long  are  so  very  appropriate  that  we  doubt  not  Geograph- 
ical Societies  of  Europe  and  America  will  adopt  them,  and  call  this 
land  Wrangell  Land.  Captain  Long  has  prepared  for  us  an  account  of 
this  interesting  discovery,  which  we  insert  here  :  — 

"  Honolulu,  Nov.  5,  1867. 

"  Sir  :  During  my  cruise  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  I  saw  land  not  laid 
down  on  any  chart  that  I  have  seen.  This  land  was  first  seen  from  the 
barque  '  Nile,'  on  the  evening  of  the  14th  of  August,  and  the  next  day 
at  9.30  A.M.,  the  ship  was  eighteen  miles  distant  from  the  west  point. 
I  had  good  observations  this  day,  and  made  the  west  point  to  be  in 
lat.  70°  46'  N.,  and  long.  178°  30'  E.  The  lower  part  of  the  land  was 
entirel)'^  free  from  snow  and  had  a  green  appearance,  as  if  covered  with 
vegetation.  There  was  broken  ice  between  the  ship  and  land,  but  as 
there  was  no  indication  of  whales,  I  did  not  feel  justified  in  endeavoring 
to  work  through  it  and  reach  the  shores,  which  I  think  could  have 
been  done  without  much  danger.  We  sailed  to  the  eastward  along  the 
land  during  the  16th,  and  part  of  the  16th,  and  in  some  places  ap- 
proached it  as  near  as  fifteen  miles. 

"  On  the  16th  the  weather  was  very  clear  and  pleasant,  and  we  had 
a  good  view  of  the  middle  and  eastern  portion.     Near  the  centre  or 


LONG  S   ACCOUNT.  461 

about  in  long.  180°,  there  is  a  mountain  which  has  the  appearance  of  an 
extinct  volcano.  By  approximate  measurement  I  found  it  to  be  two 
thousand  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high.  I  had  excellent  observa- 
tions on  the  16tli,  and  made  the  southeastern  cape,  which  I  have  named 
Cape  Hawaii,  to  be  in  lat.  70°  40'  N.,  and  long.  178°  51'  W.  It  is  im- 
possible to  tell  how  far  this  land  extends  northward,  but  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  we  could  see  ranges  of  mountains  until  they  were  lost 
in  the  distance ;  and  I  learn  from  Captain  Bliven  of  the  ship  "  Nautilus," 
that'he  saw  land  northwest  of  Herald  Island,  as  far  north  as  lat.  72°. 

"  From  the  appearance  of  the  land  as  we  saw  it,  I  feel  convinced 
that  it  is  inhabited,  as  there  were  large  numbers  of  walrus  in  this 
vicinity;  and  the  land  appeared  more  green  than  the  main  coast  of 
Asia,  and  quite  as  capable  of  supporting  man  as  the  coast  from  Point 
Barrow  to  the  Mackenzie  River,  or  the  northern  parts  of  Greenland, 
which  are  in  a  much  higher  latitude.  There  is  a  cape  a  little  to  the 
westward  of  Cape  Jakan  which  has  a  very  singular  appearance.  On 
the  summit  and  along  the  slopes  of  this  promontory  there  is  an  immense 
number  of  upright  and  prostrate  columns  —  some  having  the  appear- 
ance of  pyramids,  others  like  obelisks ;  some  of  them  with  the  summit 
larger  than  the  base.  The  character  of  the  surrounding  country,  which 
was  rolling  with  no  abrupt  declivities,  made  these  objects  appear  more 
singular.  They  were  not  in  one  continuous  mass  but  scattered  over  a 
large  surface,  and  in  clusters  of  fifteen  or  twenty  yards  witli  intervals 
of  several  hundred  yards  between  them.  While  at  anchor  near  this 
place,  Captain  Phillips,  of  the  '  Monticello,'  came  on  board  and  drew 
my  attention  to  a  large  black  place  on  the  slope  of  one  of  tlie  hills,  and 
said  he  thought  it  was  coal.  We  examined  it  with  the  telescope,  and  it 
had  a  very  distinct  appearance  of  coal.  It  glistened  in  the  sun  and 
appeared  like  a  large  surface  which  had  been  used  as  a  dei)osit  for 
coal.  It  was  about  one  and  a  half  miles  in  length,  and  one  half  mile  in 
breadth,  the  country  surrounding  it  being  covered  with  vegetation. 
From  175°  to  170°  east  there  were  no  indications  of  animal  life  in  the 
water.  We  saw  no  seals,  walrus,  whales,  or  animalcule  in  the  water. 
It  appeared  almost  as  blue  as  it  does  in  the  middle  of  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
although  there  was  but  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  fathoms  in  any  place 


462  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

within  forty  miles  of  the  land.  I  think  the  position  I  have  assigned  to 
this  land  will  be  found  correct,  as  Mr.  Flitner  examined  my  chronometer 
on  my  arrival  and  found  it  only  one  and  a  half  miles  in  error. 

"  I  have  named  this  northern  land  Wrangell  Land  as  an  appropriate 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  a  man  who  spent  three  consecutive  years 
north  of  lat.  69°,  and  demonstrated  the  problem  of  this  open  Polar  Sea 
forty-five  years  ago,  although  others  of  much  later  date  have  en- 
deavored to  claim  the  merit  of  this  discovery.  The  west  cape  of  this 
land  I  have  named  Cape  Thomas,  from  the  man  who  first  reported  the 
land  from  the  masthead  of  my  ship,  and  the  southeastern  cape  I  have 
named  after  the  largest  island  in  this  group.  As  this  report  has  been 
hurriedly  prepared,  I  would  wish  to  make  more  extended  observations 
on  the  subject,  which  may  be  of  benefit  to  other  cruisers  in  this 
direction,  if  you  will  allow  me  room  in  your  paper  on  some  future 
occasion.  "  Yours  very  truly, 

"Thomas  Long." 

The  "Advertiser"  observes:  "The  next  interesting  inquiry  relates 
to  its  extent.  As  near  as  we  can  learn,  after  diligent  inquiry  no  one 
landed  anywhere  on  it,  though  several  coasted  within  a  few  miles  of  it. 
The  southern  shore  runs  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  miles  east  and 
west.    How  far  it  extends  north  is  at  present  only  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

"Captain  Bliven,  while  cruising  near  Herald  Island,  lat.  71°  20'  N., 
long.  175°  W.,  and  distant  about  eighty  miles  from  the  southeast 
point  of  Wrangell  Land,  saw  the  mountain  range  extending  to  the 
northwest  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  He  thinks  it  not  improbable 
that  it  extends  north  several  hundred  miles.  If  so,  it  would  appear  to 
be  of  great  extent,  perhaps  sufficient  to  be  termed  a  continent.  By 
taking  a  chart  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  marking  the  land  from  the 
points  named  above,  it  will  be  found  to  be  about  seventy  miles  from 
the  Siberian  coast.  The  straits  between  the  two  shores  are  usually 
blocked  with  ice,  but  this  season  they  have  been  quite  clear.  Captain 
Long  thinks  that  a  propeller  might  readily  have  steamed  far  up  north 
either  on  the  west  or  east  ,side  of  this  land,  and  made  full  discoveries 
regarding  its  extent  and  character. 


THE   ICE  BARRIER,   LONG.    170°  W.  463 

"The  following  letter  from  Captain  Raynor  contains  some  additional 
particulars  relating  to  the  northerly  current  past  Herald  Island,  a  cir- 
cumstance noticed  by  several  masters,  and  which  tends  to  confirm  the 
opinion  that  the  newly  discovered  land  extends  some  distance  to  the 
north.  In  the  channel  north  of  Herald  Island  the  sea  was  clear  of  ice 
as  far  north  as  the  eye  could  reach  from  the  vessel  that  went  furthest 
into  it." 

RAYNOR'S   LETTER. 

"Honolulu,  Nov.  1,  1867. 
*'  Mr.  Whitney, 

"  Sir  :  In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  send  a  short  account  of  a 
large  tract  of  land,  lying  in  the  midst  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  hitherto 
but  little  known.  This  land  has  heretofore  been  considered  to  be  two 
islands,  one  of  which  is  marked  on  the  English  charts  as  Plover  Island, 
which  is  laid  down  to  the  west-southwest  of  Herald  Island.  The  other 
is  simply  marked  '  extensive  land  with  high  peaks.'  On  my  last  cruise 
I  sailed  along  on  the  south  and  east  side  of  this  island  for  a  considerable 
distance  three  different  times,  and  once  cruised  along  the  entire  shore, 
and  by  what  I  considered  reliable  observations,  made  the  extreme 
southwest  cape  to  lie  in  north  lat.  70°  50',  and  east  long.  178"  10'.  The 
southeast  cape  I  found  to  be  in  north  lat.  71°  10',  and  west  long.  176° 
46'.  The  south  coast  appears  to  be  nearly  straight,  with  high,  rugged 
cliffs,  and  entirely  barren.  The  northeast  coast  I  have  not  examined 
to  any  extent,  but  it  appears  to  run  from  the  southeast  cape  for  twenty 
miles,  and  then  turns  to  the  north  and  northeast.  I  learned  from  Cap- 
tain Bliven  that  he  had  traced  it  much  further  north,  and  has  seen 
others  who  traced  it  to  north  of  lat.  72°.  I  think  there  is  no  doubt  that 
it  extends  much  further  to  the  north,  and  that  there  is  another  island  to 
the  east  of  it,  say  in  long.  170°  west  and  to  the  northwest  of  Point  Bar- 
row, with  a  passage  between  it  and  the  land  I  have  just  described.  My 
reason  for  thinking  so  is  this :  we  always  find  ice  to  the  south  of  the 
known  land  further  to  the  south  than  we  do  to  the  eastward  of  it.  The 
current  runs  to  the  northwest  from  one  to  three  knots  an  liour. 

"  In  the  longitude  of  170°  west,  we  always  find  the  ice  barrier  from 
fifty  to  eighty  miles  further  south  than  we  do  between  that  and  Herald 


464  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Island,  and  there  is  always  a  strong  current  setting  to  the  northwest 
between  these  localities,  unless  prevented  by  strong  northerly  gales  (for 
in  such  shoal  water  as  the  Arctic  Ocean,  the  currents  are  changed  easily 
by  the  winds)  which  would  indicate  that  there  is  a  passage  in  that  direc- 
tion, where  the  waters  pass  between  two  bodies  of  land  that  hold  the 
ice,  the  one  known,  and  the  other  unknown. 

I  would  add  that  the  southwest  cape  of  this  island  described  above, 
lies  seventy-five  miles  distant  from  the  Asiatic  or  Siberian  coast. 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"George  W.  Eaynor, 

"  Master  of  ship  '  Reindeer.^  " 

The  land  thus  referred  to  was  now  first  reached  and  explored  by 
the  U.  S.  Revenue  Cutter  "Corwin,"  August  11.  The  atmosphere  was 
perfectly  clear,  and  the  land  in  plain  sight  about  thirty  miles  distant, 
covering  an  arc  of  the  horizon  from  northwest  to  north-northeast  true. 
Sketches  and  bearings  of  prominent  points  were  taken,  but  the  first 
attempt  at  a  nearer  approach  was  unsuccessful.  "  Good  observations 
for  latitude  and  longitude,  confirmed  by  subsequent  bearings  and  obser- 
vations taken  off  the  east  coast,  showed  the  land  on  the  American 
Hydrographic  Chart  to  be  laid  down  eighteen  miles  too  far  south, 
although  the  general  trend  of  the  coast  is  very  nearly  correct. 


"NEW  COLUMBIA. 

A  volunteer  party  consisting  of  the  Lieutenant,  the  Professor,  Assist- 
ant Engineer  Owens,  Mr.  Nelson,  the  botanist,  and  the  Coxswain, 
Gessler,  now  eagerly  volunteered  to  land,  but  the  fog  and  mist  rapidly 
shutting  down,  and  the  uncertainty  of  the  ship  holding  her  position  in 
the  lead  kept  them  back  until  the  following  day,  when  at  7.30  A.  m. 
anchor  was  dropped  within  a  cable's  length  of  the  land  in  five  fathoms 
of  water.  A  landing  was  then  effected,  and  the  American  flag  raised 
in  token  of  possession  and  ownership  by  the  United  States  of  America 
under  the  name  of  "New  Columbia."  The  island  had  heretofore 
appeared  on  some  charts  as  Wrangell  Land,  and  on  others  as  Kellett 


I  ^ 

=  r 

m 

s-  ^ 

2  > 

0  > 

B  p3 

1  ^ 


466  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Land.  The  point  of  landing  was  at  the  most  eastern  part  of  the  island ; 
it  was  the  spot  most  likely  to  be  reached  by  any  one  trying  to  make 
a  landing  on  that  coast,  forty-five  miles  from  Herald  Island.  In  clear 
weather  it  is  in  plain  sight. 

The  river  where  the  "  Corwin  "  anchored,  lat.  71°  04',  long.  177"  40' 
W.,  was  named  Clark  River,  in  honor  of  Major  E.  W.  Clark,  the  chief 
of  the  U.  S.  Revenue  Marine.  It  was  about  one  hundred  yards  wide, 
and  deep  and  rapid,  and  from  the  top  of  the  cliifs  near  by,  it  could 
be  seen  extending  back  into  the  mountains  a  distance  of  forty 
miles.  The  mountains  devoid  of  snow,  and  seen  under  very  favor- 
able circumstances  through  a  rift  in  the  clouds,  appeared  brown  and 
naked. 

The  stay  on  shore  was  necessarily  short  on  account  of  the  strong 
northerly  current  which  was  sweeping  the  ice  pack  along  with  irresist- 
ible force.  At  9.30  A.  m.,  being  unable  to  hold  her  position  any  longer, 
the  ship  commenced  to  work  out  toward  the  lead  which  was  reached  at 
11  A.  M.  "  We  examined  the  shore  line  with  our  glasses  while  ap- 
proaching and  leaving  the  land  north  and  south,  and  saw  nothing  but 
perpendicular  hills  of  slate  from  oile  to  three  hundred  feet  high,  the 
sloping  bank  of  the  river  being  the  only  place  for  miles  where  a  party 
travelling  over  the  ice  would  be  able  to  effect  a  landing. 

"No  time  had  been  lost  iij  sending  out  parties  to  examine  the  shore 
line,  and  all  prominent  points,  while  the  more  distant  ones  were  care- 
fully scanned  with  the  glasses  for  signs  of  human  life,  past  or  present, 
but  nothing  was  seen." 

Captain  Hooper  says :  "  This  is  undoubtedly  the  part  of  the  land 
seen  by  Captain  Kellett,  R.  N.,  in  1849,  when  he  discovered  and  landed 
on  Herald  Island,  and  which  since  appeared  on  the  British  Admiralty 
charts  as  Plover  Island,  although  erroneously  laid  down  somewhat 
further  to  the  eastward.  We  now  know  that  Plover  Island  has  no 
separate  existence,  and  that  what  Kellett  saw  was  the  main  island." 

In  reference  to  the  name  of  "  New  Columbia,"  "  it  was  suggested  by 
the  name  previously  gi  ven  to  the  islands  further  west  — '  New  Siberia,' 
and  it  was  believed  that  the  bearing  of  two  names  was  calculated  to 
create  confusion,  and  that  the  newly  appropriated  name  being  of  a 


RETUEN   OF   THE   "COR WIN."  467 

national  character  would  imply  no  disrespect  to  the  memory  or  give 
offence  to  the  gallant  officers  whose  names  it  bore,  but  who  had  not 
landed  on  it."  The  terms  of  the  Treaty  of  1869  between  the  United 
States  and  Russia  would  seem  to  debar  possession  by  the  United  States 
of  these  barren  islands ;  the  question,  involving  the  right  of  discovery, 
has  not,  as  yet,  been  mooted  between  the  two  Governments. 


WRANGELL  LAND   AN   ISLAND. 

The  discovery  that  it  is  an  island  of  limited  extent  is  to  be  accredited 
to  Commander  DeLong,  who  drifted  in  the  "  Jeannette  "  in  the  winter 
of  1879-80  across  the  meridians  embraced  within  its  extremes,  and  in 
plain  sight.  It  will  probably  occur  to  the  reader  that  the  early  reports 
by  Long  and  Raynor,  as  well  as  those  of  Kellett,  were  largely  the 
foundation  of  the  hope  of  finding  it  a  continent. 

From  this  first  exploration  of  Wrangell  Land,  Captain  Hooper 
crossed  over  to  Point  Barrow,  where  he  found  a  part  of  the  crew  of  the 
whaler  "  Daniel  Webster,"  whose  Captain,  not  having  been  familiar 
with  Arctic  navigation,  had  remained  in  a  lead  just  half  an  hour,  long 
enough  to  have  his  ship  crushed.  Nine  of  the  crew  who  had  escaped 
to  the  shore  were  taken  aboard  the  "  Corwin,"  others  having  gone  over- 
land to  Icy  Cape. 

August  24,  the  cutter  had  again  made  a  distance  of  six  hundred 
miles,  arriving  in  Plover  Bay  where  was  found  the  "  Golden  Fleece," 
with  Lieutenant  Ray  of  the  U.  S.  A.  Signal  Service,  on  his  way  to 
establish  a  meteorological  station  at  Point  Barrow. 

On  the  27th  the  "  Corwin  "  sailed  to  the  northward,  and  soon  after 
again  sighted  the  blue  peaks  of  Wrangell  Land,  standing  along  the  ice 
pack  from  which  she  neared  Herald  Island,  but  in  a  fierce  gale  that 
lasted  several  days,  lost  her  iron  ice-breaker,  and,  as  the  oak  sheathing 
which  had  protected  the  soft  Oregon  plank  around  her  bows,  was  also 
entirely  gone,  the  Captain  could  not  again  venture  into  the  ice.  After 
cruising  eastward  into  the  vicinity  of  Kotzebue  Sound  and  Hotham 
Inlet,  and  at  St.  Michael's,  receiving  on  board  a  second  party  of  ship- 


468  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

wrecked  men,  the  cutter  was  on  her  way  to  San  Francisco  where  she 
arrived  October  21,  1881. 

When  drawmg  up  his  full  report  of  this  cruise,  after  the  reception  of 
the  news  in  the  United  States  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  and  the  "  Rodgers," 
Hooper  concludes :  "  I  cannot  refrain  from  making  a  brief  reference  to 
the  fate  of  one  of  the  objects  of  our  search,  the  'Jeannette,'  and  her 
officers  and  crew.  The  heart-rending  details  of  that  sad  affair  are  too 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  all  to  require  repetition  here,  but  I  desire  to 
express  my  profound  sorrow  for  their  misfortunes,  over  which  all  the 
civilized  world  grieves,  and  my  unbounded  admiration  for  their  forti- 
tude, and  their  heroic  exertions  in  making  the  most  remarkable  retreat 
over  the  ice  ever  made  by  man,  from  the  place  where  the  vessel  sank  to 
the  Lena  Delta ;  for  their  brave  straggle  for  existence  after  reaching 
the  land,  and  their  cheerful  resignation  to  fate  when  death  in  its  most 
awful  form  stared  them  in  the  face  and  claimed  them  one  by  one.  Tlie 
diary  of  Captain  DeLong,  written  almost  as  he  drew  his  last  breatli, 
relates  acts  of  heroism  and  self-sacrifice  which  are  not  excelled  in  the 
annals  of  history.  Not  the  least  of  them  was  the  devotion  of  the  faith- 
ful Alexai,  an  Innuit  from  St.  Michael's,  going  out  almost  daily  in 
search  of  game,  freezing  and  starving  as  he  was,  but  bringing  the 
small  amount  secured  to  the  commanding  officer  to  be  distributed 
fairly  to  every  one  of  the  party,  and  at  night,  with  the  temperature  at 
zero,  or  perhaps  lower,  taking  off  his  seal-skin  robe  to  cover  his  beloved 
captain.  Surely  when  the  final  summing-up  shall  be  made  in  the  list 
of  heroes  who  have  laid  down  their  lives  for  the  benefit  of  their  fellow- 
men,  the  name  of  Alexai  will  not  be  forgotten." 

Captain  Hooper  refers  also  in  like  terms  to  the  courageous  and 
noble  efforts  of  Master  C.  F.  Putnam,  U.  S.  N.,  of  the  "  Rodgers,"  of 
whose  loss  on  the  ice  floe  the  sad  intelligence  had  been  received. 

The  official  report  of  this  cruise,  still  on  the  files  of  the  Treasury 
Department,  will  be  found  to  embrace  discussions  on  several  topics,  such 
as  the  currents  and  the  ice  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  the  habits  and  character 
of  the  Innuits,  and  others  within  the  general  tenor  of  his  instructions 
but  outside  of  the  narrative  furnished  by  the  ship's  log.  Some  points 
were  visited  not  heretofore  described  by  any  other  Arctic  navigator. 


1 


THE   RELIEF  SHIPS.  473 

As  an  additional  illustration  of  the  utter  uncertainty  of  ice-navigation 
in  the  Arctic  Seas  and  of  the  currents  therein,  it  may  be  here  mentioned 
that  in  his  preliminary  report  of  the  cruise  made  up  before  receiving 
news  of  the  "  Jeannette,"  he  had  stated  his  own  conclusions  while  in 
the  "  Arctic,"  that  the  ill-fated  ship  had  probably  drifted  to  the  north- 
east, and  recommended  that  a  vessel  be  sent  to  Melville  Island,  and 
another  to  Prince  Patrick  Land  for  her  relief;  but  it  will  be  remembered 
in  this  connection  how  early  in  the  voyage  of  the  "  Jeannette,"  DeLong 
was  compelled  to  record  his  abandonment  of  the  hope  of  his  being 
carried  northeagt,  and  his  entire  submission  to  the  facts,  against  all  theo- 
ries, that  the  Arctic  currents  are  the  results  of  local  prevailing  winds 
only.  Of  this.  Captain  Hooper  also  states  his  own  like  experience 
during  these  two  cruises,  in  which  he  sailed  over  twelve  thousand  miles, 
making  thorough  search  of  both  the  American  and  Asiatic  shores,  for 
tidings  of  the  lost  whalers  and  the  exploring  steamer  "  Jeannette." 

CRUISE   OF  THE   U.   S.   S.   "  RODGERS." 

The  Spring  of  1881  brought  no  further  news  of  the  "  Jeannette." 
The  United  States  Congress  received  a  number  of  petitions,  asking  that 
the  Navy  Department  should  send  out  a  relief  ship,  and  President  Gar- 
field was  forcibly  addressed  for  the  same  object  by  the  President  of  the 
American  Geographical  Society,  Hon.  Judge  C.  P.  Daly  of  New  York. 
In  the  Act  making  an  appropriation  for  the  Civil  expenses  of  the 
Government,  approved  March  3,  1881,  the  sum  of  $175,000  was  ajv 
propriated  "  to  enable  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  immediately  to  charter 
or  purchase,  equip  and  supply  a  vessel  for  the  prosecution  of  a  search 
for  the  steamer  '  Jeannette,'  and  such  other  vessels  as  might  be  found 
to  need  assistance  during  said  cruise ;  provided  that  the  vessel  be 
wholly  manned  by  volunteers  from  the  navy."  This  last  clause  as 
appears  by  a  letter  from  the  late  Commodore  JefiFers,  Chief  of  the 
Bureau  of  Ordnance,  was  designed  by  Congress  to  emphasize  its  view- 
that  the  new  expedition  should  have  no  other  object  than  to  search  for, 
and  if  necessary,  relieve  the  missing  party;  it  was  not  to  winter  in  the 
ice  unless  unavoidable.    The  cruise  of  the  "Rodgers"  was  thus  limited. 


474  AISIERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

The  first  duty  devolved  upon  Secretary  Hunt  was  to  obtain  a 
suitable  vessel,  and  equip  and  dispatch  her  to  the  Arctic  regions  in 
season  to  prosecute  a  search  before  severe  winter  should  set  in.  There 
was  no  time  left  to  charter  or  purchase  and  send  round  a  vessel  from 
the  Atlantic  coast,  but  the  Department  succeeded  in  finding  at  San 
Francisco  the  "  Mary  and  Helen,"  already  named  in  the  cruise  of  the 
"  Corwin,"  a  new  and  strong  Arctic  Steam  Whaler.  She  was  purchased 
for  the  sum  of  f  100,000.  The  ship  had  been  built  specially  for  Arctic 
navigation,  was  fast  under  canvas,  with  a  speed  of  eight  knots  under 
steam ;  the  propeller  was  not  made  to  hoist,  or  the  rudder  to  be  readily 
unshipped,  but  these  parts  were  specially  strong. 

March  12,  1881,  the  Secretary  ordered  a  board  of  Naval  officers  to 
discuss  and  report  upon  the  direction  of  the  Search  Expedition,  the 
best  means  adapted  to  it,  and  its  details.  The  board  was  composed  of 
the  late  Rear  Admiral  John  Rodgers,  whose  Arctic  expedition  north  of 
Bering  Strait  has  been  narrated ;  Captain  J.  A.  Greer,  Lieutenant 
Commander  H.  C.  "White,  and  Lieutenant  R.  M.  Berry,  officers  of  the 
"Tigress"  in  the  search  for  Captain  Hall;  Lieutenant  W.  P.  Randall; 
Paymaster  A.  S.  Kenny ;  Surgeon  J.  S.  Kidder.  Convened  at  the  Navy 
Department,  March  14,  the  Board  made  a  thorough  investigation,  dis- 
cussing, with  the  help  of  many  personS^who  had  been  engaged  in  the 
whaling  service  and  of  other  experts  on  Arctic  subjects,  the  whole 
subject  committed  to  them,  and  submitting  a  full  report  March  26, 
(Report  of  Secretary  of  Navy,  November  28,  1881.) 

The  chief  points  of  this  paper  as  regards  the  search  were,  that  as  the 
purpose  of  Captain  DeLong  had  been  clearly  expressed  to  land  at  Herald 
Island  and  Wrangell  Land  and  leave  cairns  on  each,  and  as  the  Arctic 
Sea  is  too  vast  to  be  explored  with  any  rational  hope  of  success  in  find- 
ing the  vessels  except  on  some  definite  information,  the  missing  ex- 
plorers should  be  sought  for  at  the  points  named  ;  not,  however,  with  the 
clear  expectation  of  finding  the  cairns,  but  with  the  possibility  of  res- 
cuing lost  crews.  The  Board  added  a  suggestion  for  a  search  on  the  north 
east  Asiatic  coast,  citing  from  a  letter  from  DeLong,  dated  July  17, 1879, 
that,  in  event  of  disaster  to  the  ship,  he  would  retreat  on  the  Siberian 
settlements  to  the  natives  around  East  Cape,  and  wait  for  a  chance  to  get 


THE  ADVISORY   BOARD.  475 

back  to  St.  Michael's.  Their  opinion  of  the  unlikelihood  of  cairns  being 
found  on  the  islands  named,  was  founded  chiefly  on  the  testimony  of 
Captain  Bernard  Cogan,  an  experienced  master  of  a  whaling  ship,  who 
explicitly  stated  that  on  the  4th  of  September,  1879,  when  the  ice  was 
seen  by  him  rising  ten  or  twelve  feet  out  of  the  water,  its  estimated 
thickness  one  hundred  feet,  hummocky  and  thus  showing  that  the 
currents  were  powerful,  the  "  Jeannette  "  steamed  right  into  the  pack, 
and  was  seen  enclosed  in  it  and  going  out  of  sight  with  it.  The  testi- 
mony furnished  by  Professor  C.  Abb6  and  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely  of 
the  Signal  Service  was  to  the  point  that  the  winter  of  1879-80  was  one  of 
unusual  severity,  the  natives  reporting  that  no  winter  of  such  severity 
had  ever  been  known  by  them.  The  mean  temperature  north  of  Bering 
Strait  reported  by  the  officers  of  the  Signal  Service  at  St.  Michael's  was 
for  the  months  of  January  and  February,  on  an  average  thirteen  degrees 
below  zero.  The  winds  in  that  region  were  between  west,  southwest  and 
north-northwest,  and  the  average  would  be  very  near  west-northwest — 
a  remarkable  contrast  with  the  actual  experience  of  the  average  east- 
southeast  and  southeast  winds  of  the  "  Jeannette."  Professor  Dall,  of 
the  United  States  Coast  Survey,  whose  opinion  in  regard  to  the  currents 
of  the  Bering  Strait  and  the  Arctic  Sea  has  been  heretofore  quoted, 
stated  that  on  his  previous  visit  to  that  region  in  one  of  the  vessels  of 
the  Coast  Survey  he  had  expected  to  find  a  permanent  current  setting 
northward  during  the  summer  through  the  strait,  but  his  observations 
showed  that  the  current  varied  with  the  tides;  that  the  tides  were 
irregular,  causing  irregular  currents,  the  warm  water  passing  through 
the  strait  seeming  to  divide  into  three  branches,  one  going  westward, 
another  to  the  northwest,  and  a  third  to  the  northeast ;  this  being 
indicated  more  by  the  melting  of  ice  than  by  the  strength  of  current. 
Whaling  ships  are  lost  in  the  Arctic  every  season ;  two  cliief  losses 
being  that  of  thirty-three  at  one  time,  and  thirteen  at  anotlier,  witliiii 
the  last  ten  years.  The  whole  shore  at  Point  Belcher  is  covered 
with  wreckage  for  miles  and  miles. 

The  examination  of  other  experts  by  the  Board  were  chiefly  as  in 
the  case  of  Mr.  Kennan,  Arctic  Explorer  of  Washington,  D.  C,  on  the 
points  of  sledge  travel,  aid  from  the  natives  of  the  Arctic  shores,  and 
other  like  topics. 


476  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

May  20,  Secretary  Hunt  instructed  Lieutenant  Berry,  who  had 
been  placed  in  command  of  the  "  Helen  and  Mary,"  now  named  the 
"Rodgers,"  in  compliment  to  the  President  of  the  Naval  Board,  that  he 
should  sail  as  soon  as  the  ship  was  fully  ready,  and  pursue,  as  nearly 
as  practicable,  the  course  recommended.  The  Secretary  closed  his  let- 
ter with  the  words,  "  The  eyes  of  your  fellow-countrymen,  of  the  scien- 
tific men  of  all  the  world,  and  especially  those  interested  in  Arctic 
Exploration,  will  follow  you  anxiously  on  your  way  through  the  un- 
known seas  to  which  you  go.  May  Heaven  guard  and  bless  you  and 
your  officers  and  men,  and  crown  your  heroism  with  success  and 
glory." 

The  "  Rodgers  "  was  commissioned  on  the  30th  of  the  month,  and 
in  all  the  departments  of  the  Navy  Yard  at  Mare  Island,  Cal.,  was  com- 
pleted ready  for  sea.  She  was  reported  by  the  Commandant  of  the 
Yard,  Commodore  T.  S.  Phelps,  as  thoroughly  strengthened,  her  ma- 
chinery thoroughly  overhauled  and  put  in  order,  and  her  engines  and 
appliances  found  entirely  satisfactory  on  their  trial  under  steam.  In 
addition  to  the  very  large  amount  of  stores  and  pemmican  purchased 
from  the  remainder  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  Search  Expedition  appropria- 
tion, the  ship  had  received  three  years'  full  Navy  rations,  the  supply  on 
board  being  considered  ample  for  thirty-five  officers  and  men  for  five 
years.  The  commandant  further  reported  that  in  the  "  Rodgers'  "  fit- 
ness for  the  Arctic  cruise,  she  had  never  been  surpassed  or  perhaps 
equalled  by  any  vessel  equipped  for  the  Arctic  Regions.  The  ship  sailed 
from  San  Francisco,  June  16,  with  a  complement  of  officers,  all  of  whom 
were  volunteers,*  viz. :    Masters  H.  S.  Waring  and  C.  F.  Putnam,  En- 

*  Officers'  Naval  Record :  — 

Lieutenant  Robert  M.  Berry,  Commanding.  Acting-Midshipman,  Jan.  31,  1862;  grad- 
uated, June  1,  1866;  Ensign,  March  12,  1868;  Master,  March  26,  1869;  Lieutenant, 
March  21,  1870. 

Howard  S.  Waring,  Executive  Officer  and  Navigator.  Midshipman,  June  26, 1867;  grad- 
uated, June  1,  1872;  Ensign,  July  5,  1873;  Master  (Junior  Lieutenant),  July  12,  1878. 

Charles  F.  Putnam.  Midshipman,  June  24,  1869;  graduated.  May  31,  1873;  Ensign,  July 
16,  1874;  Master  (Junior  Lieutenant),  March  12,  1880;  lost  on  the  ice  of  St.  Lawrence 
Bay  in  endeavoring  to  render  aid  to  his  shipwrecked  comrades,  Jan.  11,  1882. 

Henry  J.  Hunt.  Midshipman,  June  23,  1870;  graduated,  June  21, 1875;  Ensign,  Sept.  30, 
1876;  Lieutenant  (Junior  grade),  March  11,  1883. 


THE  SEARCH   ON   WRANGELL   ISLAND.  477 

signs  H.  J.  Hunt  and  G.  M.  Stoney,  Surgeons  M.  D.  Jones  and  J.  D. 
Castillo,  Engineer  A.  V.  Zane,  and  Pay  Clerk  W.  H.  Gilder  formerly 
of  the  Schwatka  Expedition.  Of  the  volunteer  crew  numbering  twenty- 
six,  selected  with  great  care,  F.  F.  Melm  had  also  been  with  Lieutenant 
Schwatka.  The  ship  arrived  at  Petropaulovski  in  thirty-three  days, 
and  found  in  port  the  Russian  corvette  "  Streloch  "  with  instructions 
from  her  Government  to  oifer  any  needed  assistance.  At  St.  Lawrence 
Bay,  Berry  took  on  board  two  Tchuktchis  as  hunters  and  dog  drivers, 
and  August  20,  entered  the  Arctic  Ocean ;  thence  touching  at  Cape 
Serdze,  and  learning  there  that  the  "  Corwin  "  had  already  visited  the 
point,  he  headed  for  Herald  Island,  and  made  a  partial  search  there  for 
tidings  of  the  missing  whalers,  the  boat  party  being  compelled  by  the 
surf  to  return  to  the  ship. 

The  "  Rodgers  "  next  succeeded  in  dropping  anchor  in  six  fathoms 
of  water  about  half  a  mile  from  shore  on  the  southern  coast  of  Wrangell 
Land  west  of  Cape  Hawaii,  and  finding  a  small  harbor  at  the  mouth  of 
the  lagoon,  was  moved  in.  Three  search  parties  were  then  organized 
for  traces  of  the  missing  explorers,  one  under  Master  S.  H.  Waring  and 
Surgeon  Castillo,  a  second  under  Ensign  Hunt  and  Engineer  Zane,  the 
third  under  Captain  Berry,  accompanied  by  Surgeon  Jones.  The  first 
party  found  a  cairn  in  which  Surgeon  Rosse  of  the  "  Corwin  "  had  left 
a  dispatch  August  12 ;  bringing  it  on  board  they  left  a  copy  in  the 
cairn.  The  boat  of  this  party  was  imprisoned  by  the  pack,  compelling 
them  to  return  to  the  ship  across  the  ice ;  it  was  recovered  afterward 
outside  of  the  bay  to  which  it  had  been  carried  by  the  ice-drift.  Tlie 
second  party  skirted  the  coast  to  the  southward,  westward,  and  north- 
ward, while  the  third  under  Berry  penetrated  the  interior  twenty 
miles  in  a  northwest  by  north  direction.  Berry  ascended  a  mountain 
near  the  centre  of  the  island,  one  peak  of  which  was  found  by  barometric 

George  P.  Stoney.    Midshipman,  Sept.  21,  1870;  graduated,  Sept.  17,  1S75;  Ensign.  Oct. 

9,  1876;  Lieutenant  (Junior),  Jime  25,  1883. 
Meredith  D.  Jones.    Assistant  Surgeon,  May  17,  1871;  Passed- Assistant  Surgeon.  Feb. 

6,  1875. 
A.  V.  Zane.    Cadet  Engineer,  Oct.  1,  1871;  graduated.  May  31,  1874;  Assistant  Engineer, 

Feb.  26,  1875;  Passed-Assistant  Engineer,  Aug.  23,  1881. 
J.  D.  Castillo.    Assistant  Surgeon,  July  6,  1880;  resigned,  Oct.  1,  1883. 


478  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

measurement  to  be  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  high  —  a  remarkable 
confirmation  of  the  estimate  made  by  Captain  Long  of  the  whaling 
barque  "  Nile,"  1867,  who  sailed  along  the  south  coast  for  two  daj's  as 
has  been  related  in  the  Second  Cruise  of  the  "  Corwin."  His  estimated 
height  of  this  peak  will  be  found  on  the  circumpolar  chart  (pocket  of 
this  volume)  to  have  been  two  thousand  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet. 
The  day  was  very  clear,  but  no  land,  except  Herald  Island  was  visible 
from  the  summit.  The  whole  coast  line,  except  a  few  miles  of  outlying 
sand  spits,  was  examined,  but  Berry  found  it  impossible  to  believe 
that  any  of  the  missing  parties  had  landed  there.  The  thorough  ex- 
amination of  the  coast  was  a  second  determination  of  that  made  prev- 
iously by  the  ill-fated  "  Jeannette,"  that  Wrangell  Land  is  an  island 
instead  of  a  part  of  the  supposed  Arctic  Continent.  It  is  about  seventy 
miles  long,  east  and  west,  and  thirty-five  miles  broad,  including  the 
sand-spits  which  make  out  from  six  to  ten  miles  from  the  north  and 
the  south  coast.  A  range  of  high  hills  extends  completely  around  the 
island  near  the  coast  line,  and  a  lower  range  from  east  to  west  near  the 
centre.  The  whole  island  is  a  succession  of  peaks  and  valleys.  Several 
streams  were  found,  the  largest  of  which,  rising  near  the  centre  peak 
(Berry's),  flows  into  the  sea  in  an  easterly  magnetic  direction. 

In  "  Hydrographic  Notice,"  No.  84,  of  1881,  Commodore  De  Kraft 
says :  "  The  harbor  was  found  to  be  small  but  excellent,  of  mod- 
erate depth  of  water.  It  is  situated  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
island,  and  is  formed  by  a  bight  in  the  coast-line  just  east  of  a  pro- 
jecting promontory.  Protected  on  the  south  by  a  low  neck  of  sand 
and  pebbles,  it  is  a  little  more  than  two  hundred  yards  in  extent  either 
way,  with  a  depth  of  from  three  to  three  and  a  half  fathoms  in  the 
centre.  Three  fathoms  can  be  carried  close  to  the  shore  on  the  south 
side,  and  two  and  two  and  a  half  fathoms  close  to  the  bluff,  on  the 
north  side.  There  are  no  hidden  dangers.  The  observation  spot,  near 
the  western  extremity  of  the  low,  sandy  neck,  is  in  lat.  70°  57'  N.,  long. 
178°  10'  W.  Magnetic  variation  20°  E.  Rise  and  fall  of  tide  five  feet ; 
flood  tide  sets  to  the  southward  and  westward.  .  .  . 

"The  'Rodgers'  left  Wrangell  Island  on  the  13th  of  September, 
and,  after  making  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  land  on  Herald  Island  to 


.It       rl  1 1 


berry's  cruise.  481 

complete  its  examination,  steamed  to  the  northward  until  stopped, 
September  17,  by  an  impenetrable  pack  in  lat.  73°  9'  N.,  long.  174°  W., 
when,  it  being  dark,  and  having  made  only  fifteen  miles  after  working 
all  day,  the  ship  was  made  fast  to  a  floe  for  the  night.  New  ice  was 
formed  during  the  night,  cementing  the  floes  together,  and  when,  at 
3  A.M.  on  the  morning  of  the  18th,  an  attempt  was  made  to  reach  a 
lead  about  one  hundred  yards  distant,  it  required  an  hour  and  fifteen 
minutes  steaming  at  full  speed  to  accomplish  it,  after  which  the  pack 
was  skirted  to  the  northeastward  until,  having  reached  lat.  73°  44'  N., 
long.  171°  48'  W.,  it  was  found  impossible  to  proceed  any  farther  in 
that  direction.  From  this  position  no  indications  of  land  could  be 
seen  from  the  crow's  nest,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  soundings  in- 
variably deepened  as  the  vessel  proceeded  north.  It  was  therefore 
thought  best,  as  the  main  pack  trended  well  to  the  southward  of  east 
from  this  point,  to  return  to  the  northeast  point  of  Wrangell  Island, 
and  proceed  thence  in  a  northwesterly  direction  in  search  of  the  high 
land  reported  by  Captain  Smith,  of  the  whaling  barque  "  New  Bedford," 
as  "situated  in  long.  178°  W.,  and  extending  as  far  north  of  the 
seventy-third  parallel  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

"  Leaving  Wrangell  Island  a  second  time,  on  September  22,  the  one 
hundred  and  seventy-eighth  meridian  was  crossed  and  a  position  in  lat. 
73°  28'  N.,  long.  179°  52'  E.,  was  reached,  where  the  solid  pack  was 
again  encountered;  thence  steering  to  the  southeastward,  along  the 
edge  of  the  pack,  the  one  hundred  and  seventy-eighth  meridian  was 
recrossed  in  lat.  73°  N.,  without  sighting  land,  the  horizon  throughout 
and  the  sky  to  the  northward  being  clear.  As  before,  it  was  found 
that  the  depth  of  water  gradually  increased  northward  of  Wrangell 
Island,  but  the  depths  were  less  than  to  the  northeastward,  the 
greatest  depth  (eighty-two  fathoms)  having  been  found  at  the  most 
northeasterly  point  reached,  viz.  lat.  73°  44'  N.,  long-  171°  48'  W. 

"Except  in  a  few  instances,  where  a  lead  was  followed  for  a  sliort 
distance,  the  ice  was  of  such  a  nature  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  pass 
its  outer  edge,  consisting  in  some  places  of  heavy  pack  and  in  others 
of  unbroken  fields,  miles  in  extent.  The  field-ice  was  from  two  to 
three  feet  out  of  water." 


482  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE   ZONES. 

THE  RETURN. 

A  longer  stay  would  have  endangered  the  ship  at  this  late  date, 
September  27 ;  Captain  Berry  therefore  turned  South  for  winter  quar- 
ters. Under  the  instructions  of  the  Naval  Board  and  the  Secretary, 
the  ship  was  not  to  winter  in  the  Arctic  with  any  inordinate  risk, 
and  Berry  deemed  it  useless  to  winter  at  Wrangell  Land  which  had 
proved  to  be  so  small  an  island  with  no  other  land  near  it.  He  headed 
for  the  coast  of  Siberia,  which  he  examined  from  Cape  Jakan  eastward, 
and  on  Tiapka  Island,  twenty  miles  west  of  Cape  Serdze,  he  put  up  a 
house  and  left  a  party  supplied  with  provisions,  clothing,  and  fuel  for  a 
year,  with  a  boat,  dogs,  and  sleds,  to  explore  the  coast  westward  in  search 
of  the  "  Jeannette  "  crew,  and  the  survivors  of  the  "  Mount  Wollaston  " 
and  "  Vigilant."  He  would  return  for  this  party  later  in  the  season 
when  the  falling  snow  had  made  travelling  possible,  or  if  prevented 
from  this,  would  return  for  them  as  soon  as  the  ice  the  next  summer 
would  permit.  The  party  consisted  of  Master  C.  F.  Putnam,  U.  S.  N., 
Surgeon  Jones,  Mr.  Gilder,  two  seamen,  and  a  native  as  dog  driver. 
Leaving  them  ashore,  October  8,  the  "  Rodgers  "  steamed  for  St.  Law- 
rence Bay,  where  she  arrived  after  a  week's  experience  of  thick  and 
stormy  weather  with  violent  gales.  The  preparations  for  the  winter 
were  unfortunately  kept  back  by  continued  bad  weather,  which  pre- 
vented the  transfer  to  the  shore  of  a  large  part  of  the  provisions  and 
supplies. 

THE   SHIP   BURNED. 

November  20,  Ensign  Hunt  started  up  the  coast  with  a  dog-team 
to  visit  the  camp  of  Master  Putnam,  but  was  compelled  by  severe 
storms  to  return  to  the  ship.  In  the  morning  of  November  30,  the 
startling  cry  of  fire  was  heard  on  board  the  "  Rodgers,"  issuing  from 
the  hold,  which  was  so  closely  filled  with  stores  that  it  was  next  to 
impossible  to  get  water  into  it.  By  4  P.  m.  some  of  these  had  been 
secured,  the  men  working  in  the  smoke  and  carbonic  acid  gas  below 
decks;  the  boats  being  loaded  the  ship  was  abandoned  at  midnight. 
She  drifted  up  the  bay,  rigging  and  sails  on  fire,  and  her  magazine 


PUTNAM   PERISHES.  483 

exploded  in  the  early  morning.  The  cause  of  the  fire  could  not  be 
learned ;  it  was  probably  from  spontaneous  combustion  or  from  the 
firing  of  the  deck  underneath  from  the  donkey  boiler. 

In  a  camp  formed  of  overturned  boats,  sails  and  tents,  officers  and 
crew  found  a  shelter  from  a  violent  snow-storm ;  next  morning  a 
party  of  natives  from  the  village  Noomamoo,  seven  miles  off,  came 
to  offer  a  hospitable  refuge  in  their  huts,  and  the  party  after  a  fati- 
guing tramp  were  distributed  among  the  eleven  homes  which  made 
the  settlement,  making  the  uncomfortable  exchange  of  ship  life  to  a 
winter's  siege  on  walrus  and  blubber.  Afterward  the  officers  and  crew 
were  divided  into  foiu*  parties  and  scattered  in  three  other  villages 
within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles. 

Natives  communicating  the  news  of  the  burning  of  the  ship  to  Put- 
nam, he  started  south  with  four  loaded  sledges  for  their  relief,  meeting 
Lieutenant  Berry,  who  was  on  his  way  to  Putnam's  camp.  Continuing 
his  trip  under  orders,  he  delivered  his  provisions  on  January  4,  and  on 
the  10th  started  on  his  return  accompanied  by  Hmit,  Zane,  Castillo, 
and  three  natives,  driving  his  own  team  of  nine  dogs.  In  an  attempt 
to  face  a  heavy  gale,  probably  not  having  the  ability  to  control  the 
dogs,  or  not  being  aware  of  the  abrupt  deviation  from  the  course  taken 
by  the  other  sleds,  he  missed  his  way  in  crossing  the  bay  and  drifted 
out  to  sea  on  an  ice  floe.  An  immediate  hunt  which  was  entreated  of 
the  natives  was  not  permitted  that  night  by  the  violence  of  the  gale, 
and  the  wind  unhappily  detached  the  ice  from  the  shore,  and  carried  it 
to  sea;  next  morning  all  was  clear  water.  On  the  14th  and  on  tlie  17th, 
the  search  was  renewed  along  the  shore  thirty  miles,  but  no  good  news 
was  heard ;  on  the  29th  it  was  learned  that  six  of  the  dogs  had  come 
ashore  without  harness,  one  of  them  with  a  pistol-shot  wound  in  his 
neck,  given  probably  by  Putnam  who  intended  to  use  it  for  food,  had  he 
succeeded  in  escaping.  He  was  seen  three  days  afterward,  being  carried 
out  to  sea,  but  an  earnest  effort  to  reach  him  in  a  canoe  failed,  the  ice 
cutting  through  the  boat.  How  long  he  survived  can  never  bo  known; 
the  temperature  was  from  twenty  to  forty  degrees  below  zero,  and  he  had 
no  protection  from  the  fierce  winds,  except  his  warm  clothing.  His  death 
was  either  from  the  cold,  want  of  food,  or  from  the  breaking  up  of  the  floe. 


484  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

A  month's  search  on  the  shore  made  by  Waring  and  Stoney  revealed 
nothing  more  of  one  of  the  most  promising  officers  of  the  expedition. 

In  the  meantime,  February  8,  Lieutenant  Berry,  as  yet  unacquainted 
with  this  sad  disaster,  left  Cape  Serdze  with  Hunt  to  follow  the  coast 
westward  in  search  of  the  missing  crews;  arriving  at  the  Russian  post 
of  Nishne  March  24,  he  learned  of  the  landing  of  part  of  the  "  Jean- 
nette's"  crew  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lena,  and  continued  his  journey, 
overtaking  Chief  Engineer  Melville's  search  party,  and  proceeding  to 
Yakutsk.  Berry  intended  to  fit  out  a  new  expedition,  but  on  learning 
that  Lieutenant  Harber  had  been  ordered  by  Secretary  Chandler  to  make 
a  summer  search,  he  returned  home,  and  Hunt  joined  Harber. 

The  party  from  the  "Rodgers"  left  on  shore  at  St.  Lawrence  Bay 
under  Master  Waring,  U.  S,  N.,  was  received  on  board  the  whaling 
barque  "  North  Star,"  Captain  L.  C.  Owens,  of  New  Bedford,  May  8, 
the  Captain,  having  heard  of  the  party  by  a  letter  which  Waring  had 
entrusted  to  the  natives  for  any  passing  whaling  vessel,  had  forced  his 
ship  through  the  opposite  ice  for  their  rescue.  On  their  way  to  Ouna- 
laska,  falling  in  with  the  revenue  cutter  "  Corwin,"  the  "  Rodgers' " 
party  were  transferred  to  her,  arriving  in  San  Francisco  June  23,  1882. 
In  his  report  to  the  Department,  Lieutenant  Berry  earnestly  recom- 
mended that  the  Tchuktchis  of  St.  Lawrence  Bay  be  rewarded  for  their 
hospitality,  to  encourage  them  to  aid  the  crews  of  any  of  our  whaling 
or  other  vessels  that  may  be  wrecked  upon  their  coast.  Before  leaving 
them.  May  14,  Master  Waring  had  distributed  among  them  all  the 
remaining  supplies  and  ammunition.  A  court  of  inquiry  asked  for  by 
Lieutenant  Berry  fully  exonerated  him  for  the  loss  of  the  "  Rodgers." 

Secretary  Chandler  having  approved  the  recommendation  to  reward 
the  Tchuktchis,  an  appropriation  of  $3,000  was  made  by  Congress  for 
this  purpose,  and  on  the  12th  of  March,  1883,  Lieutenant  Stoney  was 
sent  out  by  the  Navy  Department  to  distribute  such  presents  as  Berry 
should  suggest  to  the  natives,  including  the  women  who  had  repaired 
the  clothing  of  tlie  seamen  of  the  "■  Rodgers."  The  Act  of  Congress 
recites  the  purpose  of  "  suitably  rewarding  the  natives  at  and  about  St. 
Lawrence  Bay  who  housed,  fed,  and  extended  other  kindnesses  to  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  U.  S.  S.  '  Rodgers.'  " 


RESULT   OF   TFIK   CIllTISE.  485 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  London,  lield 
December  12,  1881,  the  Secretary,  C.  R.  Markham,  said :  — 

"The  complete  exploration  of  Wrangell  Land  by  tjje  officers  of  the 
'  Rodgers '  is  a  great  geographical  achievement.  For  this  far-off  island, 
so  long  heard  of  and  at  last  sighted,  but  always  on  the  very  threshold 
of  the  unknown,  has  been  one  of  the  longed-for  goals  of  discovery  ever 
since  the  Tchuktchis  told  Baron  Wrangell  that  it  could  be  seen  on  a 
clear  day  from  Cape  Jakan.  They  said  that  herds  of  deer  sometimes 
came  from  thence  across  the  ice;  and  their  traditions  related  liow  the 
Onkilon,  Omoki,  and  other  tribes  had  wandered  nortlnvard  over  the 
ice  to  distant  lands.  So  that  there  was  a  halo  of  romance  over  the 
Siberian  '  Ultima  Thule,'  which  was  heightened  by  the  gallant,  but  vain 
efforts  of  Wrangell  himself  to  reach  it  by  dog  sledges  in  1822  and  1823. 
At  length  it  was  actually  sighted  by  Captain  Kellett  in  1849,  when  he 
discovered  Herald  Island  in  71°  12'  N.  The  American  Captain  Long 
also  sighted  it  in  1867,  and  others  have  done  so  since. 

"But  now  it  has  been  thoroughly  explored,  and  is  a  mystery  no 
longer.  Wrangell  Land  turns  out  to  be  an  island  forty  miles  broad, 
between  70°  50'  N.  and  71°  32'  N.,  sixty-six  miles  long  and  eighty  miles 
from  the  nearest  point  on  the  Siberian  coast ;  Herald  Island  lies  thirty 
miles  due  east." 


CRUISE    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES    STEAMER   "  ALLIANCE,"   JUNE    16    TO 

OCTOBER    11,  1881. 

FITTING  OUT  OF  THE  "ALLIANCE." — INSTRUCTIONS  TO  COMMANDER 
COOPER  AND  TO  COMMANDER  WADLEIGH.  —  ARRIVAL  AT  IIEVKIAVIK. 
—  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  "JEANNETTE"  CIRCULATED. —  THE  HAltBOR 
OF  HAMMERFEST,  NORWAY.  —  GREEN  BAY,  SPITZBERCJEN.  —  TIDAL 
MARKS  ESTABLISHED.  —  CRUISE  IN  LAT.  79°. — THE  ICE  BAKRIEi:. — 
RETURN  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES  UNDER  ORDERS. 

The  Navy  Department,  in  order  to  avail  itself  of  every  i)ossible 
means  of  relief  to  the  i'Jeannette"  or  her  officers  and  crew  in  event 
of  her  loss,  "determined  at  the  same  time  with  the  sending  of  the 
'Rodgers'   through    Bering    Strait,  to    dispatch    another   vessel    on   a 


486  AMEEICAlf   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

cruise  for  the  missing  ship  between  Greenland,  Iceland,  and  the  coast 
of  Norway  and  Spitzbergen  as  far  north  as  77°  lat.,  and  further  if  it 
should  be  found  practicable  without  danger  from  the  ice.  Secretary 
Hunt  reported  to  Congress  that  this  decision  was  made  on  the  sugges- 
tion of  "  the  liberal  and  public-spirited  citizen  through  whose  munifi- 
cence and  disinterested  efforts  to  contribute  to  the  cause  of  science,  the 
*Jeannette'  had  been  sent  forth."  The  U.  S.  screw  steamer  "Alli- 
ance," third-rate,  of  the  North  Atlantic  Fleet,  was  selected  for  the 
service,  and  fitted  for  Arctic  Exploration  at  the  Norfolk  Navy  Yard, 
chiefly  by  live-oak  sheathing  to  her  bow  and  a  strong  iron  guard  on 
her  stem. 

June  14,  the  Secretary  instructed  Commander  G.  H.  Wadleigh, 
ordered  to  succeed  Commander  Cooper,  detached  on  account  of  ill 
health,  that  he  would  first  ascertain  the  limits  of  the  pack-ice  between 
Greenland  and  Spitzbergen,  and  should  make  the  fullest  observations 
practicable  of  sea  temperatures,  and  of  other  ocean  phenomena,  includ- 
ing specific  gravity  and  degrees  of  phosphorescence,  with  specimens 
from  the  surface,  and  by  drag-nets  from  the  bottom.  The  northern 
waters  offer  a  fine  field  for  these  researches,  and  few  of  their  organisms 
are  found  in  American  collections ;  these,  therefore,  with  those  of  fauna 
and  flora,  were  to  be  made  at  every  convenient  landing  at  Iceland, 
Greenland,  and  Spitzbergen.  Commander  Wadleigh  was  also  to  prepare 
for  the  Hydrographic  Office  a  chart  with  the  drawing  of  the  ship's 
track,  and  of  the  field  ice  and  icebergs  encountered. 

These  instructions  for  the  benefit  of  science  were  to  be  subordinated 
to  those  previously  given  to  Commander  Cooper,  dated  May  27,  1881, 
in  which  Secretary  Hunt  had  marked  out  with  more  than  usual  detail 
the  route  of  the  "Alliance,"  enclosing  even  an  itinerary,  but  still  leav- 
ing as  usual  much  to  the  commander's  discretion,  except  that  the  time 
of  the  cruise  in  the  Arctic  Region  was  limited  to  September  25,  the 
ship  not  being  fitted  for  Arctic  Exploration,  but  sent  only  as  a  relief. 

June  16,  the  "  Alliance  "  left  Hampton  Roads,  reached  St.  John's 
the  24th,  and  Reykiavik,  July  12.  Here,  the  Parliament  of  Iceland 
being  in  session.  Governor  Finssen  made  many  inquiries  of  the  mem- 
bers in  regard  to  the  currents,  drift-wood,  etc.,  setting  on  the  coasts. 


OBSERVATIONS   BY  THE   "ALLIANCE."  487 

Commander  Wadleigh  distributed,  through  the  members,  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  "  Jeanne tte,"  printed  in  Icelandic,  with  the  offer  of  a  reward 
for  any  reliable  information  from  the  districts  represented.  Captain 
Vence,  of  the  French  corvette  "Dupleix,"  put  at  Wadleigh's  disposal 
the  result  of  surveys  which  he  had  been  making  around  the  island. 

July  24,  the  ship  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Hammerfest,  Norway, 
cruising  from  which  on  the  31st,  she  sighted  Bear  Island,  and  finding 
it  surrounded  by  ice,  went  from  thence  to  Bel  Sound  and  Green  Har- 
bor, Spitzbergen,  cruising  along  the  edge  of  the  pack  as  far  as  lat. 
80°  10'  N.,  and  running  as  far  east  as  long.  13°  15',  to  a  point  ten  miles 
northwest  of  Welcome  Point,  along  which  the  ice  was  impenetrable. 
Oreen  Bay  was  found  to  be  the  most  frequented  harbor  of  Spitzbergen ; 
it  is  well  protected  from  all  but  northeast  winds,  is  very  deep,  vessels 
of  any  size  being  accustomed  to  anchor  in  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
fathoms  of  water,  and  then  within  a  cable's  length  of  the  shore. 

Saxe  Haven  was  found  nearly  full  of  ice  August  5.  Here  Lieutenant 
Perkins  of  the  "Alliance"  searched  for  the  tide  mark  left  there  by 
Professor  Nordenskiold  in  1864,  but  did  not  find  it,  probably  from  the 
■crumbling  of  the  rocks.  He  left  a  tide  mark  on  the  southeast  side  of 
the  same  small  islet,  "just  off  the  entrance  to  Saxe  Haven"  as  named 
by  Nordenskiold,  consisting  of  a  copper  plate  with  the  ship's  name  and 
date  of  visit ;  the  spike  holding  the  plate  being  nine  feet  above  the  sea 
at  low  water,  1  p.  m.,  August  5. 

With  Master  Schwenk  he  also  established  a  bench  mark  on  a 
boulder  in  the  middle  of  a  small  bight  west  of  Hakluyt's  Headland, 
Amsterdam  Island,  lat.  79°  49'  N.,  long.  11°  15'  E.,  and  drove  a  spike 
into  a  natural  tablet  on  the  cliflf  bearing  northeast  and  north  from  the 
plate.  These  bench  marks  were  established  in  accordance  with  the 
suggestions  of  the  International  Arctic  Commission  for  hypsometrical 
and  tidal  observations  as  included  in  the  instructions  of  the  Navy  De- 
partment. The  time  of  high  water,  full  moon,  August  10,  was  found 
to  be  one  hour  forty-four  minutes  A.  m.  ;  rise  and  fall  of  tide,  four  feet 
eleven  inches.  The  dip  of  the  magnetic  needle  at  same  place  was  80° 
31'  13".5.  The  variation  of  the  compass  on  Moff  Island,  south  latitude, 
was  17°  30'  45"  W.,  and  the  dip  of  magnetic  needle  80°  32'  48". 


488  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

August  27,  the  ''  Alliance  "  left  Spitzbergen  and  cruised  under  sail 
until  September  11,  to  Hammerfest,  after  which  she  succeeded  in  get- 
ting again  as  far  north  as  79°  3'  36".  The  ice  and  the  weather  showed 
Commander  Wadleigh  that  it  would  be  unsafe  to  attempt  to  reach 
Cape  Brewster ;  no  ship,  he  thought,  should  attempt  to  force  a  passage 
to  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  without  being  fitted  to  pass  at  least  one 
winter  in  the  ice.  September  25,  under  the  instructions  of  the  Depart- 
ment as  already  named,  he  began  his  return,  arriving  at  Reykiavik,  Octo- 
ber 10,  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  November  1,  and  New  York,  on  the  11th. 
While  at  Reykiavik  he  received  news  from  Governor  Finssen  of  the 
stranding  and  wreck  of  a  merchant  vessel  of  twelve  hundred  tons, 
June  26,  1881,  on  the  rocks  just  outside  of  Thorshaven.  The  Govern- 
mental examination  which  had  been  made  of  this  ship  had  found  upon 
it  the  inscription  "Jamestown,"  Boston,  Mass.  There  was,  however,  no 
information  offered  to  Commander  Wadleigh,  indicating  in  any  manner 
the  slightest  knowledge  or  rumor  of  the  "  Jeannette." 

The  instructions  of  the  Department  in  regard  to  scientific  objects  were 
carried  out  as  far  as  practicable  by  making  floral  and  geological  collec- 
tions, specimens  of  birds  and  animals,  and  the  more  important  Hydro- 
graphical  data  which  have  been  named.  The  cruise  had  its  origin  in  the 
possibility  of  the  drift  of  the  "  Jeannette  "  by  a  northwest  current  into 
the  open  Polar  Sea  of  theory,  and  a  successful  crossing  into  the  region 
searched  by  the  "'-  Alliance."  This  possibility  justified  the  cruise,  but 
the  unfortunate  "Jeannette  "  was  nearly  a  half  circle  further  east,  and 
beyond  'the  impassable  North  Asiatic  ice  barrier.  The  cruise  of  the 
"Alliance"  closed  the  efforts  of  America  for  the  relief  of  the  "Jean- 
nette." It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  Expeditions  were  proposed  by  our 
English  and  French  friends,  and  that  they  would  have  been  sent  out 
had  not  the  news  been  received  from  the  parties  on  the  Siberian  coast. 
See  Proceedings  of  Royal  Geographical  Society,  and  of  the  Soci^t^ 
de  Geographic. 

Note. — The  opportunity  offers  itself  at  this  hour  only,  to  coiTect  a  previous  state- 
ment (quoted),  that  Lieutenant  Chipp's  observations  made  on  the  "  Jeannette  "  were 
lost  with  his  boat.  Engineer  Melville  brought  to  Washington  every  particle  of  the 
"Jeannette"  Records  ;   all  were  found  bv  him  on  the  Lena  Delta. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    ANTARCTIC   CRUISE   OF    LIEUTENANT  (LATE  ADMIRAL)   CHARLES 

WILKES,  U.  S.  N.,  1839-40. 

THE  ANTARCTIC  REGION  A  TERRA  INCOGNITA.  —  OBJECT  OF  ITS  EX- 
PLORATIONS COMPARED  WITH  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ARCTIC. — 
NATIONAL  AID  REQUIRED. — EARLIEST  AMERICAN  DISCOVERY. — 
FOREIGN  EXPLORATIONS,  PRIVATE  AND  NATIONAL. —  WILKES'  CRUISE 
A  PART  OF  THE  PLxVNS  OF  THE  EXPLORIN(r  EXPEDITION  OF  18:38-42. — 
ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SQUADRON  AND  ITS  ROUTE.  —  FIRST  CRUISE 
TOWARDS  cook's  NE-PLUS-ULTRA.  — CRUISE  ALONG  THE  ICY  HAR- 
RIER. —  REPORTED  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  CONTINENT.  —  AWARD  OF  THE 
GOLD  MEDAL  BY  ROYAL  GEOGRAPHICAL  SOCIETY,  LONDON. —  DISCOV- 
ERIES OF  ROSS.  —  SCIENTIFIC  RESULTS.  —  COLLECTIONS  IN  THE  NA- 
TIONAL MUSEUM,    WASHINGTON. 

IT  has  been  forcibly  remarked  that  of  some  parts  of  our  earth  we 
know  less  than  we  do  of  the  moon  or  even  of  some  of  the  distant 
planets.  The  Astronomer  has  measured  the  lunar  mountains  and 
their  craters,  and,  passing  beyond  our  satellite,  has  determined  some- 
thing of  the  physical  condition  not  only  of  the  nearer  planets  of  the 
Solar  system,  but  of  those  of  the  more  remote ;  by  the  revelations  of 
the  spectroscope,  learning  in  part  the  structure  of  the  nearer  memljers 
of  the  Stellar  universe.  But,  even  at  this  day  of  advanced  science,  and 
of  the  marvellous  appliances  which  she  both  creates  and  uses,  the  true 
physical  character  of  the  furthest  northern  and  southern  regions  of  the 
globe  remains  almost  unknown  ;  the  seemingly  simple  question,  how 
much  land  and  how  much  open  water  exists  within  the  Arctic  and 
Antarctic  zones,  cannot  be  answered.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the 
Antarctic  zone,  to  which  few  indeed  give  a  passing  thought,  hnding  it 
on  their  maps  and  in  their  geographies,  a  blank. 

In  this  point  and  as  regards  the  eflforts  of  the  explorer  to  penetrate 
within  the  circle,  a  marked  contrast  presents  itself  in  relation  to  the 
opposite  Polar  Region — a  contrast  which  has  been  briefly  sjMiken  of  in 

489 


490  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES.   - 

the  first  pages  of  this  volume.  The  extreme  natural  differences  in  the 
character  of  the  two  zones  as  there  referred  to,  will  show  themselves 
somewhat  more  at  length  in  what  here  follows,  by  contrasting  the 
objects  of  explorations  within  the  two  circles,  and  the  efforts  resulting 
from  them.  As  introductory,  therefore,  to  a  brief  notice  of  American 
Antarctic  Exploration,  it  is  proper  to  pass  in  review  the  objects  before 
the  chief  Antarctic  voyagers;  naming  and  locating  also  their  tracks 
and  discoveries. 

The  area  of  the  Antarctic  circle  is  eight  million  one  hundred  and 
fifty-five  thousand  six  hundred  square  miles,  an  area  equal  in  extent  to 
the  one-sixth  part  of  the  entire  land  surface  of  the  globe ;  its  unex- 
plored portion  about  twice  as  large  as  Europe.  Lieutenant  Maury, 
from  whose  Physical  Geography  of  the  Sea  (enlarged  edition  of  1861), 
this  is  cited,  adds :  "  This  untravelled  region  is  circular  in  shape,  the 
circumference  of  which  does  not  measure  less  than  seven  thousand 
miles.  Its  edges  have  been  penetrated  here  and  there,  and  land,  wher- 
ever seen,  has  been  high  and  rugged.  The  unexplored  area  there  is. 
quite  equal  to  that  of  our  entire  frigid  zone.  Navigators  on  the  voy- 
age from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Melbourne,  and  from  Melbourne 
to  Cape  Horn,  scarcely  ever  venture,  except  while  passing  Cape  Horn, 
to  go  on  the  Polar  side  of  55°  S.  The  fear  of  icebergs  deters  them. 
These  may  be  seen  there  drifting  up  toward  the  equator  in  large  num- 
bers and  large  masses  all  the  year  round.  I  have  encountered  them 
myself  as  high  up  as  the  parallel  of  37°  S."  The  belt  of  ocean  that 
encircles  this  globe  on  the  Polar  side  of  55°  S.,  is  never  free  from  ice. 
Many  of  them  are  miles  in  extent  and  hundreds  of  feet  thick.  The 
area  on  the  Polar  side  of  the  fifty-fifth  parallel  of  south  latitude  com- 
prehends a  space  of  17,784,600  square  miles.  The  nursery  for  the 
bergs,  to  fill  such  a  field,  must  be  an  immense  one ;  such  a  nursery  can- 
not be  on  the  sea,  for  icebergs  require  to  be  fastened  firmly  to  the  shore 
until  they  attain  full  size.  They  therefore,  in  their  mute  way,  are  loud 
with  evidence  in  favor  of  Antarctic  shore-lines  of  great  extent,  of  deep 
bays  where  they  may  be  formed,  and  of  lofty  cliffs  whence  they  may 
be  launched.  Off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  they  have  been  seen  as  far 
as  the  parallel  of  35°. 


THE   "TERRA   INCOGNITA."  491 

For  the  last  two  handred  years  the  Arctic  ocean  has  been  a  theatre 
for  exploration ;  but  as  for  the  Antarctic,  no  expedition  has  attempted 
to  make  any  persistent  exploration  or  even  to  winter  there. 

In  Chapter  I.  it  has  been  shown  that  the  first  Arctic  Explorations 
had  their  origin  in  a  commercial  object;  for  it  was  believed  that  by 
finding  a  passage  around  the  northern  shores  either  of  America  or  of 
Asia,  the  riches  of  the  east  would  be  more  readily  secured.  A  route 
around  Cape  Horn  too  was  uninviting  because  of  the  storms  of  the 
Antarctic  Seas.  Additionally  to  the  commercial  object,  was  the  "bar- 
ren ambition "  to  attain  or  approach  the  North  Pole,  as  shown  for 
example  by  the  boat  and  sledge  expedition  of  Parry's  voyage  from 
Spitzbergen  poleward,  at  the  date  of  which,  rewards  were  offered  for 
reaching  the  highest  latitudes,  and  X  10,000  to  reach  the  Pole.  Yet  to 
this  object  a  scientific  interest  soon  began  to  attach  itself.  The  north 
magnetic  pole  of  the  earth  and  the  northern  pole  of  cold  were  to  be 
located,  the  isothermal  lines  to  be  laid  down,  and  the  important  interests 
of  the  whaling  trade  promoted ;  all  of  which  objects,  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree,  are  indeed  still  involved  in  exploration  in  the  Arctic,  and  to 
some  extent  in  the  Antarctic  also. 

But  the  original  purpose  just  named  as  before  the  Arctic  explorer 
had,  of  course,  no  place  in  Antarctic  voyaging,  for  nothing  of  value 
could  be  conceivable  in  a  route  passing  by  the  South  Pole  from  one 
continent  to  another,  the  peninsular  terminations  of  the  continents  be- 
ing known  to  be  relatively  far  more  distant  from  the  southern  pule 
than  the  Arctic  regions  from  the  northern.  For  Antarctic  Exploration, 
therefore,  the  earliest  object  could  be  simply  to  determine  what  lay 
within  the  vast  space  between  these  continental  terminations  and  their 
pole.  Within  this  void  was  the  Terra  Aiistralis  Inco[/nita,  so  marked 
upon  the  maps,  not  only  of  the  middle  ages,  but  of  those  far  down  with- 
in the  lines  of  modern  history  ;  for  from  the  earliest  date  of  the  division 
of  the  earth  into  the  old  five  zones  or  climates  (separated  as  was  sui>- 
posed  by  the  uninhabitable  equatorial  belt),  the  belief  existed  that 
beyond  the  supposed  highly-heated  region  of  the  equator,  lay  this  large 
continent  extending  to  the  Pole;  and  when  it  became  known  tliat  the 
equator  was  inhabitable,  the  unknown  was  shifted  further  south ;  and 


492  AMEUrCAN   EXPLOKATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

again  on  Van  Dieman's  exploration  of  Australia  and  Tasraan's  of  New 
Zealand,  it  was  again  shifted  south.  It  so  remained  until  Captain  Cook 
in  1774  dispelled  the  illusion  by  his  circuit  of  the  southern  seas  in  high 
latitudes.  In  his  own  words,  "he  put  an  end  to  the  search  for  a 
southern  continent  which  had  engrossed  the  attention  of  maritime 
nations  for  two  centuries,  and  had  been  a  favorite  theme  for  geograph- 
ers of  all  ages."  He  attained  the  hit.  of  71°  10'  south  on  the  one  hun- 
dred and  seventh  meridian,  and  settled  the  form  of  New  Zealand,  New 
Caledonia,  and  other  Australian  lands  and  islands. 

The  disappearance  of  the  Terra  Incognita  from  the  maps,  and  from 
the  theory  of  the  geographers,  was  not,  however,  a  displacement  of  the 
belief  in  the  existence  of  large  land  masses  in  the  southern  Polar  zones. 
The  theory  of  the  continent  had  based  itself  chiefly  on  the  supposition 
that  one  must  exist  there  to  counterbalance  the  lands  of  the  opposite 
northern  belt,  in  support  of  which  idea  Lieutenant  Maury  had  said  "  It 
seems  to  be  a  physical  necessity  that  land  should  not  be  antipodal  to 
land."  Within  an  area,  therefore,  equal  in  extent  to  one-sixth  part  of 
the  entire  land  surface  of  the  globe,  it  was  urged  that  land  must  exist 
antipodal  or  opposite  to  the  vast  water  area  lying  between  the  circle 
and  Cape  Horn*  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Meteorological  con- 
siderations, further  urged  by  Lieutenant  Maury,  were  chiefly  the  belief 
that  mountain  masses  there  appear  to  perform,  in  the  chambers  of  the 
upper  ail',  the  oftice  which  the  jet  of  cold  water  discharges  for  the 
exhausted  steam  in  the  condenser  of  an  engine,  Antarctic  mountains 
and  lofty  peaks  producing  as  condensers  of  excessive  precipitation  the 
steady  flow  of  the  winds  of  that  region  towards  the  South  Pole.  To 
determine  the  extent  of  such  land  masses,  their  elevations,  and  depres- 
sions, and  the  glaciers,  or  ice-fields  within  their  indentations  and  off 
their  sbores,  still  remained  objects  of  geographical  investigation  ;  and 
to  these  objects  were  to  be  added  special  researches  in  relation  to 
botany  and  zoology,  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the  southern  latitudes,  and 
other  researches  bearing  an  intimate  relation  to  those  in  the  high  north. 
In  the  words  of  the  Committee  of  the  Royal  Society  of  London,  recom- 
mending the  recent  voyage  of  the  "  Challenger,"  "  In  the  soutliern 
ocean  the  study  of  ocean  temperatures  is  expected  to  afford  the  most 


BELLINGSHAUSEN.  493 

important  results,  and  the  observations  of  meteorological  and  magnetic 
phenomena  there  are  even  yet  more  important." 

Antarctic  exjjlorations,  therefore,  for  the  purposes  just  named  could 
not  be  lost  sight  of,  but  have  been  prosecuted  at  times  })y  the  aid  of 
private  liberality  only  and  more  extensively  by  national  expeditions. 
In  advocacy  of  Government  aid,  the  North  British  Review  (1847), 
referring  to  the  Resolutions  of  the  British  Association  which  recom- 
mended the  Naval  Expedition  of  Sir  James  Ross,  forcibly  says :  — 

"The  necessity  of  national  aid  in  promoting  and  completing  great  physical 
theories,  has  been  long  admitted  by  eveiy  civilized  nation  in  the  case  of  astronomy, 
evenwhen  no  practical  or  utilitarian  result  could  be  reasonably  contemplated;  but 
that  necessity  becomes  doubly  urgent  in  reference  to  those  sciences  whicii  are  likely 
to  yield  the  most  beneficial  results  both  to  navigation  and  commerce.  When  the 
efforts  of  private  liberality  and  individual  talent  are  inadequate  to  the  solution  of 
great  problems  in  which  national  interests  or  national  honor  are  involved,  it  be- 
comes the  pai-amount  duty  of  every  civilized  State  to  supply  from  its  treasury  the 
sinews  of  thought,  and  the  duty  also  of  evei-y  true  sovereign  to  hold  out  to  the 
intellectual  gladiator  the  laurels  he  can  bestow.  ..."  Great  as  have  been  the 
intellectual  achievements  of  the  past,  and  accelerated  as  has  been  the  progress  Ix)th 
of  terrestrial  and  celestial  physics  in  the  present  century,  3-et  the  deeper  mysteries  of 
creation  remain  undisclosed,  and  ages  of  herculean  toil  must  pass  away  before  man 
has  executed  his  commission  Jis  the  intei'preter  of  Nature.  The  Scriptures  foreteD 
an  epoch  when  '  knowledge  shall  increase,  and  man  go  to  and  fro  upon  the  earth.' 
The  ubiquity  of  science  must,  therefore,  pi-ecede  the  universality  of  her  dominion, 
and  her  dominion  must  be  established  before  her  conquests  are  secured.  The  last 
enemy  to  be  subdued  is  Ignorance,  and  the  last  conqueror  Reason.  The  current 
cycle  cannot  be  closed  till  the  earth's  circuit  has  been  spanned,  her  crypts  laid 
open,  and  her  skies  explored.  The  last  act  of  mental  toil  wliich  is  to  unfold  the  last 
mystery  of  power,  Jind  display  in  its  full  development  the  glory  of  the  Most  High, 
will  introduce  another  cycle  of  being,  in  which  new  combinations  of  matter  will  con- 
stitute a  new  aiena  for  nobler  forms  of  life,  and  higher  orders  of  intelligence,  and 
more  lofty  spheres  of  labor  and  enjoyment." 

The  history  of  the  United  States  exhibits  in  many  instances  tlie 
sympathy  of  our  people  and  of  our  legislative  bodies  witli  these  ideas. 
National  assistance  for  expeditions  to  the  Southern  Zone  was  not 
however  extended  by  any  government  within  the  period  of  the  more 
than  half  century  which  followed  Cook's  voyage :  with  the  exception, 
therefore  of  the  incidental  discovery  of  the  islands  of  Peter  I.,  lat.  08° 
67',  long.  90°  46'  W.,  and  of  Alexander  I.  in  about  tlie  Siime  latitude, 


494  AJVIEEICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

long.  73°  by  Captain  Bellingshausen  of  the  Russian  Imperial  ship* 
"  Mirny  "  and  "  Vostok  "  in  the  year  1821,  Antarctic  exploration  was 
the  work  of  private  ships ;  at  times  that  of  a  stray  whaler. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  American  enterprise  that  the  first  of  such 
explorations,  that  of  Captain  Palmer,  awakened  and  stimulated  an 
interest  in  the  Southern  Zone,  which  favored  the  organization  of 
national  expeditions.  And  here  it  may  be  admitted  with  the  author  of 
"  The  History  of  the  American  Whale  Fishery,"  Mr.  A.  Starbuck,  that 
"  as  pioneers  of  the  sea,  whalemen  have  been  the  advance  guard  of 
civilization  ;  exploring  expeditions  following  after  to  glean  where  they 
had  reaped ;  in  the  frozen  seas  of  the  North  and  the  South,  their  keels- 
have  ploughed  to  the  extreme  limits  of  navigation,  and  but  for  them  the^ 
Western  oceans  would  much  longer  have  been  comparatively  unknown. 
.  .  .  English  whalers  were  the  first  that  traded  in  the  regions  of  Van 
Dieman's  Land  and  Australia,  and  according  to  the  London  Quarterly 
Review^  without  them  England  might  never  have  founded  her  colonies 
there,  or  if  she  had  have  maintained  them  in  their  early  stages  of 
danger  and  privation."  (See  Report  by  Prof.  Baird  of  Fish  Commis- 
sion, 1875).  Captain  Palmer's  discovery  is  illustrative  of  the  general 
sentiment  which  accredits  whalemen  as  the  pioneers  of  the  sea. 

palmer's  land. 

The  South  Pacific  Directory,  compiled  by  Findlay  of  London,  and  extensively 
used  by  American  and  English  Navigators,  rather  strangely  omits  e\-en  in  the 
edition  of  1877,  all  notice  of  the  discovery  of  this  land  lying  not  very  far  from  the 
Antarctic  Circle,  while  the  Directory  gives  the  fall  particulars  of  Biscoe's  discovery  of 
its  southern  extension  at  a  later  date.  The  Admiralty  Ice  Chart  and  their  Polar 
Sea  Charts  also  omit  Palmer's  I^and.  A  reproduction  probably  of  the  former  of 
the^e  charts  in  Sieiler's  Atlas  from  the  house  of  Perthes,  Gotha,  has  done  justice 
to  American  work.  The  discovery  is  referred  to  by  an  interesting  note  in  the  North 
American  Review  for  1834,  in  an  article  on  the  Whale  Fishery.  The  Bevietc  says :  "  A 
few  years  since,  (1821,  two  years  before  Biscoe's  visit,)  two  Russian  discovery 
ships  came  in  sight  of  a  group  of  cold,  inhospitable  islands  in  the  Antarctic  Ocean. 
The  commander  imagined  himself  a  discoverer,  and  doubtless  was  prepared  with 
drawn  sword  and  with  the  flag  of  his  sovereign  flying  over  his  head,  to  take  posses- 
sion in  the  name  of  the  Czar.  At  this  time  he  was  becalmed  in  a  dense  fog.  Judge 
of  his  surprise,  when  the  fog  cleared  away,  to  see  a  little  sealing  sloop  from  Con- 
necticut as  quietly  riding  between  his  ships  as  if  lying  in  the  waters  of  Long  Island 


_  THE   SOUTH  PACIFIC   EXPEDITION.  495 

Sound.  He  learned  from  the  captain  that  the  islands  were  already  well  known,  and 
that  he  had  just  retained  from  exploring  the  shores  of  a  new  land  at  the  South;  ujwn 
which  the  Russian  gave  vent  to  an  expression  too  hard  to  be  repeated,  but 
sufficiently  significant  of  his  opinion  of  American  enterprise.  After  the  cap- 
tain of  the  sloop  he  named  the  discovery  '  Palmer's  Land,'  in  which  the  American 
acquiesced,  and  by  this  name  it  appears  to  be  designated  on  aU  the  recently  pub- 
lished Russian  and  English  charts."  Palmei-'s  Land  will  be  found  on  Steiler's 
Atlas  south  of  the  Shetland  Islands,  in  about  lat.  63°  5',  long,  bl^  bb'  W.  Judge 
Daly  includes  the  discovery  in  his  article  on  "  Polar  Research,"  in  Johnson's  Ency- 
clopedia. The  President  of  the  Royal  Geogi-apiiical  Society  of  London  names  it  in 
his  annonncement  of  the  awards  of  the  Society  for  Geographical  Discovery,  voted 
by  the  Society  to  Captain  Wilkes  in  1848.  A  visit  to  it  had  been  one  element  in  the 
Instructions  given  by  the  Navy  Department  to  the  Expedition  under  Wilkes. 

Following  our  enterprising  American,  Weddell  in  1823  advanced  three  degrees 
further  than  Cook,  reaching  lat.  74°  15'  S.  Biscoe  in  1831-33  discovered  Graham 
Land,  Enderby  Land,  and  Kemp  Land,  on  the  edge  of  the  circle,  his  brig  the 
"  Tula  "  having  been  under  the  instructions  of  its  ownei's,  Messrs.  Enderby  of  Lon- 
don, to  make  search  for  new  lands  within  the  zone.  The  English  Captain,  Biscoe, 
received  the  gold  medal  of  the  Royal  Geogi'aphical  Society,  Ix)ndon. 

The  subsequent  discovery  of  Balleny  Islands  and  Sabrina  Land  by  Balleny  in 
1839  closes  these  individual  efforts,  bringing  us  to  the  era  of  the  National  Expedi- 
tions referred  to,  viz.,  those  of  D'Urville  from  France,  Sir  James  Ross  from  England, 
and  Wilkes  from  the  United  States,  expeditions  which  found  themselves  in  ready 
the  same  regions  in  the  Antarctic  within  the  same  period,  1038-42.  The  cruise  of  the 
American  squadi'on  only  claims  attention  in  connection  with  the  title  of  this  volume. 


LIEUTENANT   WILKES'   ANTARCTIC    CRUISE  A  PART    OF    THE  U.   S.   EX- 
PLORING  EXPEDITION   OF   1S38-42. 

The  American  National  Explorations  made  within  the  Antarctic 
Circle  in  the  year  1840  were  a  part  of  those  planned  by  Lieutenant 
Charles  Wilkes,  the  Commander  of  the  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition, 
1838-42.  This  expedition  was  authorized  by  Congress  by  the  Act  of 
May  18,  1836,  "for  the  purpose  of  exploring  and  surveying  in  the  great 
Southern  Ocean  in  the  important  interests  of  our  commerce,  embarked 
in  the  whale  fisheries  and  other  adventures  in  tliat  ocean,  as  well  as  to 
determine  the  existence  of  all  doubtful  islands  and  shoals,  and  to  dis- 
cover and  accurately  fix  the  position  of  those  which  lie  in  or  near  the 
track  pursued  by  our  merchant  vessels  in  tliat  quarter,  and  may  have 
escaped  the  observation  of  Scientific  Navigators."     For  these  puritoses 


496  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

the  very  liberal  appropriation  of  $300,000  was  made  by  the  Congress  of 
the  year  just  named. 

By  the  instructions  of  Secretary  Paulding,  dated  August  11,  1838, 
Lieutenant  Charles  Wilkes  was  advised  that  the  President  had  ap- 
pointed him  to  the  command  of  a  squadron  organized  for  these  objects, 
consisting  of  the  sloops  of  war  "Vincennes"  and  "Peacock,"  the  store- 
sliip  "Relief,"  the  brig  "Porpoise"  and  tenders,  "Sea  Gull"  and  "Flying 
Fish."  The  Secretary  also  indicated  the  course  of  the  cruise,  naming 
the  chief  points  to  be  visited  by  the  expedition  in  the  order  of:  Rio 
Janeiro,  Cape  Frio,  the  Rio  Negro,  and  Terra  del  Fuego,  thence  the 
Southern  Antarctic  to  the  southward  of  Powell's  group  between  it  and 
Sandwich  Land ;  thence  to  the  southward  and  westward  as  far  as  the 
Ne  plus  ultra  of  Cook ;  thence  to  Valparaiso ;  the  Navigators'  group ; 
the  Fiji  Islands ;  thence  by  a  second  attempt  to  penetrate  within  the 
Antarctic  region,  south  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,  and  thence  to  San  Fran- 
cisco via  the  Sandwich  Islands,  from  which  the  return  would  be  to 
Singapore  and  home  by  the  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

OFFICERS.* 

The  senior  officers  of  the  squadron  under  Wilkes,  were :  Lieutenant 
William  L.  Hudson,  commanding  the  "Peacock,"  Lieutenant-Command- 

*  Officers'  Naval  Record  :  — 
Charles  Wilkes,  Midshipman,  Jan.   1,  1818;   Lieutenant,   April  28,  1826;    Commander, 

July  13,  1843;  Captain,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Commodore,  July  16,  1862;  Rear  Admiral, 

Aug.  6,  1866;  Died  Feb.  7,  1877. 
W.  L.  Hudson,  Midshipman,  July  16,  1816;  Lieutenant,  April  28,   1826;   Commander, 

Nov.  2,  1842;  Captain,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Died  Oct.  15,  1862. 
A.  K.  Long,  Midshipman,  Jan.  1,  1818;  Lieutenant,  March  3,  1827;  Commander,  Oct.  12, 

1844;  Captain,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Retired,  Oct.  1,  1864;  Died  Oct.  6,  1866. 
S.  R.  Knox,  Midshipman,  April  1,  1828;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  15,  1837;  Lieutenant, 

Sept.  8,  1841;  Captain  on  reserved  list,  April  4,  1867. 
J.  W.  E.  Reid,  Midshipman,  Sept.  26,  1831;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  15,  1837;  Lost  at 

sea.  May,  1830,  while  commanding  the  "  Sea  Gull." 
T.  T.  Craven,  Midshipman,  May  1.  1822:  Passed  Midshipman,  May  24,  1828;  Lieutenant, 

May  27,  1830;  Commander,  Dec.  16,  1852;  Captain,  June  7,  1861;  Commodore,  July 

16,  1863;  Rear  Admiral,  Oct.  10,  1866;  Retired  Dec.  30,  1869. 
O.  Carr,  Midshipman,  March  11,  1827;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  10,  1832;  Lieutenant, 

Dec.  8,  1838;  Commander,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Captain,  Retired,  April  4,  1867. 


WILKES'   OFFICERS.  497 

ants  A.  K.  Long  and  Cadwallader  Ringgold,  Commandant  Sanniel  R. 
Knox  and  Passed  Midshipman   James   W.  E.  Reid,  commanding  le- 

R.  E.  Johnson,  Midshipman,  Oct.  1,  1827;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  10,  183^3;  Lieu- 
tenant, Feb.  12,  1839;  Died  Feb.  4,  1855. 

James  Alden,  Midsliipnian,  April  1, 1828;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  14,  1834:  Lieutenant, 
Feb.  28,  1840;  Commodore,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Captain,  Jan.  2,  1863;  Commodore,  July 
25,  1865;  Rear  Admiral,  Jan.  19,  1871;  Died  Feb.  5,  1877. 

W.  L.  Maury,  Midshipman,  Feb.  2,  1829;  Passed  Midshipman,  July  3,  1835;  Lieutenant, 
Feb.  26,  1841;  Resigned  April  20,  1851. 

S.  P.  Lee,  Midshipman,  Nov.  22,  1825;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  4,  1831;  Lieutenant, 
Feb.  9,  1837;  Commander,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Captain,  July  16,  1862;  Commodore,  July 
25,  1866;  Rear  Admiral,  April  22,  1870:  Retired  Feb.  13,  1873. 

W.  M.  Walker,  Midshipman,  Nov.  1,  1827;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  10,  18:33;  Lieu- 
tenant, Dec.  8,  1838;  Commandei-,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Captain,  July  16,  1862;  Died  Nov. 
24,  1863. 

G.  F,  Emmons,  Midshipman,  April  1,  1828;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  14,  1834;  Lieu- 
tenant, Feb.  25,  1841;  Commander,  Jan.  28,  1856;  Captain,  Feb.  7,  183:3;  Comraotlore, 
Sept.  20,  1868;  Rear  Admiral,  Nov.  25,  1872;  Retired  Aug.  23,  1873. 

O.  H.  Perry,  Midshipman,  Feb.  28,  1829;  Passed  Midsliipman,  July  3,  1855;  Lieutenant, 
Feb.  23,  1841;  Resigned  July  23,  1849. 

R.  F.  Plnkney,  Midshipman,  Dec.  1,  1827;  Passed  Midshipman,  June  10,  1833;  Lieu- 
tenant Feb.  28,  1838;  Commander,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Resigned  April  23,  1861. 

A.  L.  Case,  Midshipman,  April  1,  1828;  Passed  Midsliipman,  June  14,  1834;  Lieutenant, 
Feb.  25,  1841;  Commander,  Sept.  14,  1855;  Captain,  Jan.  2,  1863;  Commodore,  Dec.  8, 
1867;  Rear  Admiral,  May  24,  1872;  Retired  Feb.  3,  1875. 

Joseph  A.  Underwood,  Midshipman,  Feb.  2,  1829;  Passed  Midshipman,  July  .J.  1S.")5; 
Killed  at  Mololo  Islands  by  Fiji  islanders,  July  24,  1840. 

M.  G.  L.  Claiborne,  Midshipman,  Feb.  1,  1827;  Passed  Midshipman.  June  10.  18:33: 
Lieutenant,  June  22,  1838;  Resigned  June  1,  1849. 

H.  J.  Hartstene,  Midshipman,  April  1,  1828;  Passed  Midshipman,  .lune  14.  1834;  Lieu- 
tenant, Feb.  23,  1840;  Commander,  Sept.  14,  18.55;  Resigned  Jan.  9,  1861. 

J.  B.  Dale,  Midshipman,  Feb.  2,  1824;  Passed  Midshipman,  July  -i.  18.35:  Lieutenant, 
Feb.  25,  1845;  Died  July  24,  1848. 

James  Palmer,  Acting  Surgeon,  Assistant  Surgeon,  March  26,  18:34;  Surgeon,  Oct.  27, 
1841;  Medical  Director,  March  :3,  1871;  Retired  June  29,  1873;  Died  April  24.  is>v;. 

E.  Gilchrist,  Acting  Surgeon,  Jan.  26,  18.32;  Passed-Assistant  Surgeon.  Nov.  s.  is;>;. 
Surgeon,  Sept.  21,  1840;  Died  Nov.  6,  1869. 

J.  L.  Fox,  Assistant  Surgeon,  Feb.  9,  18.37;  Passed-Assistant  Surgeon,  June  •'..  I  Mi'. 
Surgeon,  Aug.  16,  1847;  Died  Dec.  17,  1864. 

J.  F.  Sickles,  Assistant  Surgeon,  Feb.  28,  1^33;  Surgeon,  Sept.  8,  1841;  Die«l  April  is. 
1848. 

C.  F.  B.  Guillou.  Acting  Surgeon,  Feb.  9,  18.37;  Passed-Assistant  Surgeon,  June  6,  1842; 
Sui^eon,  Aug.  28,  1847;  Retired  Sept.  15,  18.'>4. 

J.  S.  Whittle,  Assistant  Surgeon,  June  20,  ia38;  Died  April  5.  18.")0. 

R.  R.  Waldron,  Purser,  entered  the  service  June  15,  1827;  Died  Oct.  30,  1846- 

W.  Speiden,  Purser,  entered  the  service  Aug.  30,  1837;  Died  Dec.  1861. 


498  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

spectively  the  other  vessels  which  have  been  named,  and  the  fol- 
lowing Lieutenants,  T.  T.  Craven,  O.  Carr,  R.  E.  Johnson,  J.  Alden, 
W.  L.  Maury,  S.  P.  Lee,  W.  M.  Walker,  G.  F.  Emmons,  O.  H.  Perry, 
R.  F.  Pinkney,  A.  L.  Case,  J.  A.  Underwood,  M.  G.  L.  Claiborne,  H.  J. 
Hartstene,  and  J.  B.  Dale.  The  late  U.  S.  Surgeon-General  James 
Palmer,  Silas  Holmes,  J.  S.  Whittle,  E.  L.  Gilchrist,  J.  L.  Fox,  J.  F. 
Sickles,  and  C.  F.  B.  Guillou  were  the  acting  surgeons.  R.  R.  Waldron 
was  Purser  —  a  title  now  supplied  in  the  navy  by  that  of  Paymaster. 
The  whole  number  of  officers  who  sailed  with  the  Expedition  was 
eighty-four,  exclusive  of  the  Scientific  Corps  of  twelve  civilians.  This 
corps  was  composed  of  Messrs.  Charles  Pickering,  J.  Drayton,  J.  D. 
Brackenridge,  J.  D.  Dana,  T.  R.  Peale,  A.  T.  Agate,  H.  Hale,  J.  G. 
Brown,  J.  W.  Dyer,  W.  Rich,  J.  P.  Couthouy,  and  F.  L.  Davenport, 
the  last  named  as  the  Interpreter.  The  complement  of  the  seamen 
exceeded  five  hundred. 

The  Secretary  instructed  the  Commander  that  the  Corps  of  Scien- 
tific gentlemen  was  placed  under  his  direction  for  the  more  successful 
attainments  of  science  and  knowledge,  for  the  prosecution  of  which  he 
was  to  take  all  occasions  not  incompatible  with  the  primary  objects  of 
the  Expedition.  The  hydrography  and  geography  of  the  various  seas 
and  countries  pointed  out  in  the  preceding  instructions  and  all  the 
researches  connected  with  them,  as  well  as  with  astronomy,  terrestrial 
magnetism,  and  meteorology,  were  confided  exclusively  to  the  officers  of 
the  navy,  on  whose  zeal  and  talents  the  Department  confidently  relied 
for  such  results  as  would  enable  future  navigators  to  pass  over  without 
fear  or  danger  the  track  traversed  by  the  vessels  of  the  Expedition. 

Lieutenant  Wilkes,  who  received  the  offer  of  command,  was  well 
qualified  by  his  previous  astronomical  and  other  professional  ex- 
perience. He  had  established  the  first  fixed  observatory  in  the  United 
States  —  a  small  building  in  the  city  of  Washington,  north  of  the 
Capitol.  The  lamented  Gilliss,  succeeding  him  in  charge  of  this,  made 
those  continuous  and  valued  observations,  chiefly  for  the  use  of  Wilkes' 
squadron  on  its  return,  which  are  contained  in  the  two  volumes  pub- 
lished in  1846  by  the  Senate  ;  observations  which  led  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  present  U.  S.  Naval  Observatory. 


LIEUTENANT   HUDSON'S   RANK.  499 

The  organization  of  the  squadron  seems  to  have  been  different  from 
that  which  would  be  made  at  the  present  day  ;  for  under  the  old  regime 
of  the  Navy  Department,  it  was  under  the  charge  of  the  Board  of  Navy 
Commissioners  of  that  date,  who  selected  the  ships  previous  to,  and, 
therefore,  without  the  advice  of  a  commander  who  was  to  be  at  the 
head  of  so  important  an  expedition ;  in  consequence  also  of  the  tem- 
porary sickness  of  Secretary  Dickerson,  the  preliminary  orders  emanated 
from  the  Secretary  of  War,  the  Hon.  Joel  R.  Poinsett.  At  the  time  of 
sailing,  the  "  Relief  "  was  the  only  one  of  the  vessels  belonging  to  the 
number  of  those  originally  selected.  It  must  be  remembered  also  in  any 
judgment  of  the  labors  of  the  expedition,  that  it  contained  no  ship  of 
steam  power,  or  in  any  way  fitted  out  with  the  modern  appliances 
indispensable  for  conflict  with  the  ice-fields  of  the  Antarctic.  The 
"  Vincennes  "  was  a  sloop  of  seven  hundred  and  eighty  tons,  originally 
single-decked  and  with  but  a  light  deck  now  added ;  the  "  Peacock  " 
was  of  six  hundred  and  fifty  tons  only ;  the  "  Porpoise  "  a  gun  brig  of 
two  hundred  and  thirty  only ;  the  tenders  were  New  York  pilot  boats ; 
and  the  "  Relief,"  a  store  ship  of  such  slow  rate  of  sailing  as  made  her 
ill  adapted  for  the  cruise.  The  "  Peacock,"  before  sailing,  was  found 
to  have  her  upper  works  worn  and  much  decayed  —  seriously  develop- 
ing this  on  the  cruise. 

In  another  distinct  feature  the  expedition  bore  a  peculiar  character, 
by  the  acceptance  on  the  part  of  Lieutenant  Hudson  of  the  appoint- 
ment as  second  in  command,  his  naval  rank  being  above  that  of  Lieu- 
tenant Wilkes.  This  acceptance  was  the  result  of  a  very  complimentary 
letter  received  by  Lieutenant  Hudson  from  Mr.  Poinsett,  Acting  Sec- 
retary of  the  Navy,  and  the  publication  therewith  of  the  Navy  General 
Order  of  June  22,  1838,  which  recited  that  "the  armament  of  the 
Exploring  Expedition,  being  adapted  merely  for  its  necessarj^  defence 
while  engaged  in  the  examination  and  surve}'  of  the  Southern  Ocean, 
against  any  attempt  to  disturb  its  operations  by  the  savage  and  warlike 
inhabitants  of  those  islands,  and  the  objects  which  it  is  destined  to  pro- 
mote being  altogether  scientific  and  useful,  intended  for  the  benefit 
equally  of  the  United  States  and  of  all  commercial  nations  of  the 
world,  it  is  considered  to  he  entirely  divested  of  all  military  character  ; 


500  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 

even  in  the  event  of  the  country  being  involved  in  a  war,  before  the 
return  of  the  squadron,  its  path  upon  the  ocean  will  be  peaceful,  and 
its  pursuits  respected  by  all  belligerents.  The  President  has,  there- 
fore, thought  proper,  in  assigning  officers  to  the  command  of  this 
squadron,  to  depart  from  the  usual  custom  of  selecting  them  from  the 
senior  ranks  of  the  navy  and  according  to  their  respective  grades  in  the 
service ;  and  has  appointed  Lieutenant  Charles  Wilkes,  first  officer,  to 
command  the  Exploring  Expedition,  and  Lieutenant  William  L.  Hud- 
son to  command  the  ship  '  Peacock,'  and  to  be  second  officer  of  said 
squadron,  and  take  command  thereof,  in  the  event  of  the  death  of  the 
first  officer,  or  his  disability,  from  accident  or  sickness,  to  conduct  the 
operations  of  the  expedition." 

The  squadron  got  under  way  from  Norfolk,  Va.,  on  Saturday,  the 
18th  of  August,  1838,  and  on  the  25th  the  Commander  laid  his  course 
for  Rio  via  the  island  of  Madeira,  reaching  Funchal,  September  16,  the 
Cape  Verde  Islands,  October  6,  and  the  harbor  of  Rio  the  23d  of 
November.  From  the  last-named  port  the  course  laid  down  in  the 
instructions  of  the  Secretary  was  again  taken  up. 

THE   ANTARCTIC   CRUISE. 

The  squadron,  leaving  Rio  de  Janeiro,  January  6,  stood  to  the  south- 
ward for  the  Rio  Negro,  made  there  the  investigations  referred  to  in  its 
instructions,  and  on  the  2d  of  February,  sailed  for  Cape  Horn,  passing 
over  the  localities  of  those  shoals  which  had  been  said  to  exist  in  its 
track  and  through  the  Straits  of  Le  Maire.  From  thence,  passing 
around  Cape  Horn,  Wilkes  anchored  in  Orange  Harbor.  He  then  sent 
the  "  Peacock  "  and  "  Flying  Fish  "  toward  the  Ne  plus  ultra  of  Cook, 
and  took  the  "  Porpoise  "  and  "  Sea  Gull "  to  accomplish  that  part  of 
his  instructions  which  required  exploration  between  Powell's  group 
and  Palmer's  Land.     He  says :  — 

"  We  all  left  Orange  Hai-bor  on  the  24th  Februai-y.  I  had  little  idea  of  effecting 
anything  at  this  late  season.  The  only  thing  that  appeai'ed  possible  was  the  sight- 
ing of  Palmer's  Land,  and  getting  its  trend  to  the  southward  and  eastward.  I 
judged  the  lateness  of  the  season  might  be  favorable  for  this  object,  from  the  sum- 
mer's ice  having  drifted  off;  the  trend  of  the  land  to  the  south-southeast  was  seen 


SYDNEY,  NEW   SOUTH   WALES.  501 

for  about  thirty  miles,  and  several  small,  rocky  islets  were  found  oflF  its  eastern  cape, 
which  I  named  Cape  Hope.  It  is  high,  and,  like  all  the  land  in  high  latitudes,  cov- 
ered with  snow  and  ice.  The  South  Shetlands  were  sighted  and  points  verified  as 
well  as  they  could  be  with  the  weather  we  had.  During  this  time  of  thirty-six  days, 
we  had  scax'cely  a  single  day  to  dry  clothes,  and  the  men  suffered  much  from  the  con- 
tinued dampness  they  were  exposed  to.  We  acquired  all  that  could  be  expected  at 
the  late  season  of  the  year,  namely  some  experience  among  the  ice." 

The  "Peacock"  and  "Flying  Fish,"  which  had  chiefly  for  their 
object  to  learn  whether  the  line  of  icy  barrier  had  increased  to  the 
northward  since  the  time  of  Cook,  met  with  very  boisterous  weather ; 
the  second  of  these  vessels  reached  within  sixty  miles  of  the  Ne  pluts 
ultra  before  she  fell  in  with  the  firm  barrier;  after  incurring  much 
hazard,  both  ships  returned  north.  After  further  surveys,  particularly 
at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where,  at  Point  Venus,  a  tide-pillar  was  planted, 
Wilkes  sailed  for  Sydney,  New  South  Wales.  From  this  point  the 
second  and  most  important  part  of  the  cruise  was  made  by  the  "  Vin- 
cennes,"  the  "  Peacock,"  and  the  "  Porpoise "  of  the  squadron,  the 
tender,  "  Sea  Gull,"  having  been  previously  lost  in  a  gale  off  the  coast 
of  Chili,  and  the  "  Flying  Fish  "  being  unable  to  proceed  further  than 
the  first  rendezvous  appointed,  MacQuarie  Island,  lat.  54°  44'  S.,  long. 
159°  49'  E. 

Lieutenant  Wilkes  left  the  hospitable  harbor  of  Sydney,  New  South 
Wales,  December  26,  1839,  with  favorable  weather  and  winds  wliich 
enabled  him  to  crowd  sail  on  the  ships,  to  maintain  their  line  abreast, 
and  to  make  frequent  intercommunications.  The  weather  continuing 
fair  until  the  close  of  the  month,  gave  him  the  fullest  opi)ortunity  for 
fitting  up  each  vessel  for  the  ice  regions.  All  openings  wore  calked, 
and  the  seams  covered  with  tarred  canvas,  over  which  strips  of  sheet 
lead  were  nailed.  Casings  built  around  the  hatches  were  deemed  suf- 
ficient to  preserve  the  temperature  within  at  50°,  wliich  the  Commander 
believed  best  adapted  to  their  circumstances,  and  which  would  prevent 
the  injurious  effects  otherwise  received  by  those  who  would  pass  sud- 
denly from  below  to  the  deck;  he  thought  it  more  important  to  keej* 
the  air  dry  than  warm. 

January  1,  1840,  was  a  day  usually  termed,  both  on  sea  and  shore,  a 
weather  breeder ;  by  midnight  the  weather  became  misty  ;  the  tender. 


502  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

"Flying  Fish,"  was  lost  sight  of  not  to  be  again  seen  until  the  squadron 
returned  to  Sydney.  The  "  Peacock  "  also  was  separated  on  the  3d. 
On  the  5th  the  "  Vincennes  "  and  "  Porpoise  "  were  in  lat.  53°  30'  S., 
and  on  the  8th  in  lat.  55°  38'  S.,  on  the  9th  in  lat.  57°  15'  S.,  long.  162° 
30'  E.  This  last-named  position  was  near  the  site  of  Emerald  Isle ; 
neither  tlie  island  nor  any  indications  of  land,  however,  being  seen,  the 
Commander  inferred  that  the  island  does  not  exist  in  the  locality 
where  it  is  laid  down  on  the  charts. 


ICE   ISLANDS   AND    BERGS. 

Ice  islands  and  bergs  now  became  so  numerous  as  to  compel  the 
ships  occasionally  to  change  their  course.  The  bergs  shoAved  within 
them  large  cavities  worn  by  the  sea  in  their  perpendicular  sides,  the 
plane  surfaces  of  some  being  inclined  to  the  horizon.  As  the  number 
increased  the  sea  became  smoother  and  there  was  no  apparent  motion, 
but  between  8  and  9  p.  m.  of  the  11th,  the  ship  passed  a  low  point  of 
ice  into  a  large  bay,  and  within  an  hour  afterward  reached  its  extreme 
limits,  a  compact  barrier  of  ice  enclosing  large  bergs.  The  position 
was  lat.  64°  11'  S.,  long.  164°  30'  E.,  the  variation  22°  East.  The  bar- 
ometer stood  at  29.20  inches ;  the  temperature  of  the  air  33°,  of  the 
water  32°.  A  thick  fog  set  in,  shutting  out  the  view  beyond  a  ship's 
length.  But  on  the  16th  the  "  Vincennes "  made  frequent  tacks  to 
gain  as  much  southing  as  possible,  the  report  from  the  look-out  at  sun- 
set having  given  promise  of  a  new  opening. 

"The  ship,"  says  Lientenjint  Wilkes,  "had  raijid  way  on  her  and  was  much 
tossed  abont,  when  in  an  instant  all  was  perfectly  still  and  quiet;  the  transition  was 
so  sudden  that  many  were  awakened  by  it  from  sound  sleep,  and  all  well  knew  from 
the  shoi't  experience  we  had  had,  that  the  cessation  of  the  sound  and  motion  usual  at 
sea,  wsis  a  proof  that  we  had  run  within  a  line  of  ice,  —  an  occurrence  from  which 
the  feeling  of  great  danger  is  inseparable.  The  watch  was  called  by  the  officer  of 
the  deck,  to  be  in  readiness  to  execute  such  orders  as  might  be  necessary  for  the 
safety  of  the  ship.  Many  of  those  from  below  were  seen  hurrying  up  the  hatches, 
and  those  on  deck  straining  their  eyes  to  discover  the  barrier  in  time  to  avoid  acci- 
dent. The  ship  still  moving  rapidly  along,  some  faint  hope  remained  that  the  bay 
might  prove  a  deep  one,  and  enable  me  to  satisfy  my  sanguine  hopes  and  belief 
relative  to  tlie  land. 


iilACQUARIE    ISLAND.  503 

"The  feeling  is  awful,  and  the  uncertainty  most  trying,  thus  to  enter  within  the 
icy  barrier  blindfolded,  as  it  were,  by  an  impenetrable  fog,  and  the  thought  con- 
stantly recurring  that  both  ship  and  crew  were  in  imminent  danger;  yet  I  was  satis- 
fied that  nothing  could  be  gained  but  by  pursuing  this  course.  On  we  kept,  until  it 
was  reported  to  me,  by  attentive  listeners,  tliat  they  heard  the  low  and  distant  rust- 
ling of  the  ice;  suddenly  a  dozen  voices  proclaimed  the  barrier  to  be  in  sight  just 
ahead.  The  ship,  which  a  moment  before  seemed  as  if  unpeopled,  from  the  stillness 
of  all  on  board,  was  instantly  alive  with  the  bustle  of  performing  the  evolutions 
necessary  to  bring  her  to  the  wind,  which  was  unfavorable  to  a  return  on  the  same 
track  by  which  we  had  entered.  After  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  ice  was  again  made 
.ahead,  and  the  full  danger  of  our  situation  i-ealized.  The  ship  was  cerUiinly 
embayed  ;  and  although  the  extent  of  sea  room  to  which  we  were  limited,  was 
rendered  invisible  by  the  dark  and  murky  weather,  yet  that  we  were  closely  circum- 
scribed w.as  evident  from  having  made  the  ice  so  soon  on  either  tack,  and  from  the 
audible  rustling  around  us.  It  required  several  hours  to  extricate  the  ship  from  this 
bay. 

"  Few  are  able  to  estimate  the  feelings  that  such  an  occasion  causes  to  a  Com- 
mander, who  has  the  responsibility  of  the  safety  of  ship  and  crew  oj>erating  as  a 
heavy  weight  upon  his  heart,  .and  producing  a  feeling  as  if  on  the  verge  of  some 
overwhelming  calamity.  All  tends  to  satisfy  him  that  nothing  could  guide  him  in 
safety  through,  or  shield  from  destruction  those  who  have  been  entnisted  to  his 
charge,  but  the  hands  of  an  all-wise  Providence." 

On  the  day  last  named  the  three  vessels  were  in  long.  157°  46'  E., 
again  within  a  short  distance  of  each  other.  Captain  Hudson,  of  the 
"Peacock,"  after  his  separation  had  fortunately  made  MacQuarie  Island 
on  the  10th,  where  he  put  up  tlie  pointed  signal,  made  experiments, 
and  collected  specimens.  Passed  Midshipman  Eld  found  the  sides  of 
the  rugged  hills  literally  covered  with  myriads  of  birds.  Pa.ssing  a 
deep  fissure  in  the  rocks  he  soon  heard  such  a  din  of  squeaking,  squall- 
ing, and  gabbling,  that  it  was  impossible  to  hear  one's  self  speak,  and 
found  his  presence  so  displeasing  that  they  snapped  at  him,  shaking  and 
pinching  his  flesh  so  violently  as  to  make  him  stand  upon  tlie  defensive. 
Collecting  a  number  of  birds  and  a  few  penguin  eggs  about  the  size  nf 
a  goose  egg,  he  was  further  surprised  by  a  visit  of  two  albatrosses, 
who  deliberately  flew  away  with  two  of  the  eggs  in  their  beaks  in  spite 
of  all  his  efforts  to  prevent  them.  He  says,  "  These  penguins  are  the 
Eudyptes  chrysocoma ;  they  are  from  sixteen  to  twenty  inches  in 
height,  with  white  breast  and  nearly  black  back,  the  rest  being  of  a 
dark  olive  color,  with  the  exception  of  the  head,  which  is  adorned  on 


504 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 


each  side  with  four  or  five  yellow  feathers,  three  or  four  inches  long^ 
looking  like  graceful  plumes.  The  birds  stand  erect  in  rows,  which 
gives  them  the  appearance  of  Liliputian  soldiers.  The  sight  was  novel 
and  beautiful,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  gabble,  —  enough  to  deafen 
me,  —  I  could  have  stayed  much  longer."  At  a  subsequent  landing  on 
the  coast  Mr.  Eld  succeeded  in  taking  a  king  penguin  of  enormous  size,^ 
viz. ;  from  tip  of  tail  to  the  bill,  forty-five  inches ;  across  the  flippers, 
thirty-seven  inches ;  and  the  circumference  of  the  body,  thirty-three 
inches.  He  was  taken  after  a  truly  sailor-like  fashion,  by  knocking 
him  down.     The  bird  remained  quiie  unmoved  on  their  approach,  or 

rather  showed  a  disposition  to 
come  forward  to  greet  them.  A 
blow  with  the  boat  hook,  how- 
ever, stunned  him,  and  before 
J  his  recovery  he  was  well  secured. 
He  showed,  on  coming  to  him- 
self, much  resentment  at  the 
treatment  he  had  received,  not 
only  by  fighting,  but  by  an  inor- 
dinate noise.  He  was  in  due  time 
preserved  as  a  specimen  to  grace 
the  collection  at  Washington.  In 
his  craw  were  found  thirty-two 
pebbles,  from  the  size  of  a  pea  to 
that  of  a  hazelnut.  The  quartermaster  of  the  "  Peacock "  secured  a 
large  species  of  penguin  and  some  green  paroquets  having  a  large  red 
spot  on  the  head,  a  purple  spot  at  the  root  of  the  bill  and  a  straight 
beak.* 

*  Sir  C.  Wyville  Thomson,  chief  of  the  scientific  staff  of  H.  M.  S.  "  Challenger,"  says 
of  the  Penguins  and  their  retreats:  "The  well-known  tussock-grass  of  the  Falklands 
forms  a  dense  jungle.  The  root-clumps  or  *  tussocks '  are  two  or  three  feet  in  width  and 
about  a  foot  high,  and  the  spaces  between  them  one  to  two  feet  wide.  The  tuft  of  thick 
grass  stems,  —  seven  or  eight  feet  in  height,  —  rises  strong  and  straight  for  a  yard  or  so, 
and  then  the  culms  separate  from  one  another  and  mingle  with  those  of  the  neighboring 
tussocks.  This  makes  a  brush  very  difficult  to  make  one's  way  through,  for  the  heads  of 
grass  are  closely  entangled  together  on  a  level  with  the  face  and  chest.  In  this  scrub  one 
of  the  crested  penguins,  probably  Eudyptes  chi-ysocoma,  called  by  the  sealers,  in  common 


PENGUIN, 


THE  PENGUIN   AND  THE   ALBATICOSS.  505 


THE   NOKTH   PACIFIC   ALBATKOSS. 

The  species  of  this  remarkable  bird  named  b}  Audubon  Diomedea 
Nigripes^  the  black-footed  albatross,  is  spoken  of  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson, 
Naturalist  of  the  U.  S.  Revenue  Steamer  "  Corwin,"  as  follows :  — 

"The  'gony,'  as  this  bird  is  called  on  the  North  Pacific,  is  an  abun- 

■with  other  species  of  the  genus  Eudyptes,  the  '  rock-hopper,"  has  established  a  rookery. 
From  a  great  distance,  even  so  far  as  the  hut  or  the  ship,  one  could  hear  an  incessant 
noise  like  the  barking  of  a  myriad  of  dogs  in  all  possible  keys,  and  as  we  came  near  the 
place,  bands  of  penguins  were  seen  constantly  going  and  returning  between  the  rookery 
and  the  sea.  All  at  once,  oiit  at  sea,  one  hundred  yards  or  so  from  the  shore,  the  water  is 
seen  in  motion,  a  dark  red  beak  and  sometimes  a  pair  of  eyes  appearing  now  and  then  for 
■a  moment  above  the  surface.  The  moving  water  approaches  the  shore  in  a  wedge  shape, 
and  with  great  rapidity.  A  band  of  perhaps  from  three  to  four  hundred  penguins  scram- 
ble out  upon  the  stones,  at  once  exchanging  the  vigorous  and  graceful  movements  and 
attitudes  for  which  they  are  so  remarkable  while  in  the  water,  for  helpless  and  ungainly 
■ones,  tumbling  over  the  stones,  and  apparently  with  difficulty  assuming  their  normal 
position,  upright  on  their  feet  —  which  are  set  far  back  —  and  with  their  iin-like  wings 
hanging  in  a  useless  kind  of  way  at  their  sides.  When  they  liave  got  fairly  out  of  the 
water,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  surf,  they  stand  together  for  a  few  minutes  drying  and 
dressing  themselves  and  talking  loudly,  apparently  congi-atulating  themselves  on  their 
safe  landing,  and  then  they  scramble  in  a  body  over  the  stony  beach,  —  many  falling  and 
picking  themselves  up  again  with  the  help  of  their  flappers  on  the  way,  and  make  straight 
for  one  particular  gangway  into  the  scrub,  along  which  they  waddle  in  regular  order  up 
to  the  rookery.  In  the  meantime  a  party  of  about  equal  number  appear  from  the  rookery 
at  the  end  of  another  of  the  paths.  When  they  get  out  of  the  grass  on  to  the  beach 
they  all  stop  and  talk  and  look  about  them,  sometimes  for  three  or  four  minutes.  They 
then  with  one  consent  scuttle  down  over  the  stones  into  the  water,  and  long  lines  of 
ripple  radiating  rapidly  from  their  place  of  departure  are  the  only  indications  that  the 
birds  are  speeding  out  to  sea.  The  tussock-brake,  which  in  Inaccessible  Island  is 
perhaps  four  or  five  acres  in  extent,  was  alive  with  penguins  breeding.  The  nests  are 
built  of  the  stems  and  leaves  of  the  spartina,  in  the  spaces  between  the  tussocks.  They 
are  two  or  three  inches  high,  with  a  slight  depression  for  the  eggs,  and  about  a  foot  in 
diameter.  The  gangways  between  the  tussocks,  along  which  the  penguins  are  constantly 
passing,  are  wet  and  slushy,  and  the  tangled  grass,  the  strong  annnoniacal  smell,  and  the 
deafening  noise,  continually  penetrated  by  loud  separate  soimds  which  have  a  startling 
resemblance  to  the  human  voice,  make  a  walk  through  the  rookerj'  neither  easy  nor 
pleasant. 

"  The  penguin  is  thickly  covered  with  the  closest  felting  of  down  and  feathers  except 
a  longitudinal  band,  which  in  the  female,  extends  along  the  middle  line  of  the  lower  part 
■of  the  abdomen,  and  which  at  all  events  in  the  breeding  season,  is  without  ffathors.  The 
bird  seats  herself  almost  upright  upon  her  eggs,  supported  by  the  feet  and  the  stiff  feathers 
■of  the  tail,  the  feathers  of  the  abdomen  drawn  apart  and  the  naked  band  directly  applied 
to  the  eggs,  doubtless  with  the  object  of  bringing  them  into  immediate  contact  with  the 
source  of  warmth.     The  female  and  the  male  sit  by  turns;  but  the  featherless  space,  if 


606  AMERICAN   EXPLOKATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

dant  bird  over  this  entire  stretch  of  the  ocean.  It  takes  company  with- 
a  vessel  on  its  leaving  San  Francisco,  and  follows  it  to  the  neighborhood 

present,  is  not  nearly  so  marked  in  the  male.  When  they  shift  sitters  they  sidle  up  close 
together,  and  the  change  is  made  so  rapidly  that  'the  eggs  are  scarcely  uncovered  for  a 
moment.  The  young,  which  are  hatched  in  about  six  weeks,  are  curious-looking  little 
things  covered  with  black  down. 

"  There  seems  to  be  little  doubt  that  penguins  properly  belong  to  the  sea,  which  they 
Inhabit  within  moderate  distances  of  the  shore,  and  they  only  come  to  the  land  to  breed 
and  moult,  and  for  the  young  to  develop  sufficiently  to  become  independent.  But  all  this 
takes  so  long  that  the  birds  are  practically  the  greater  part  of  their  time  about  the  shore. 
We  have  seen  no  reason  as  yet  to  question  the  old  notion  that  their  presence  is  an  indica- 
tion that  land  is  not  very  far  off. 

"■  Eudy})tes  Chrysocoma  is  the  only  species  found  in  the  Tristan  d'Acunha  group. 
The  males  and  females  are  of  equal  size,  but  the  males  may  be  readily  distinguished  by 
their  stouter  beaks.  From  the  middle  of  April  till  the  last  week  in  July  there  are  no  pen- 
guins on  Inaccessible  Island.  In  the  end  of  July  the  males  begin  to  come  ashore;  at  first 
in  twos  and  threes,  and  then  in  larger  numbers,  all  fat  and  in  the  best  plumage  and  con- 
dition. They  lie  lazily  about  the  shore  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  begin  to  prepare  the 
nests.  The  females  arrive  in  the  middle  of  August,  and  repair  at  once  to  the  tussock- 
brake.  A  fortnight  later  they  lay  two,  rarely  three,  eggs,  pale  blue,  very  round  in  shape, 
and  about  the  size  of  a  turkey's  egg.  It  is  singular  that  one  of  the  two  eggs  is  almost  con- 
stantly considerably  larger  than  the  other.  One  or  the  other  of  the  old  birds  now  spends  most 
of  its  time  at  sea,  fishing,  and  the  yoimg  are  fed,  as  in  most  sea-birds,  from  the  crop  of  the 
parents.  In  December  young  and  old  leave  the  land,  and  remain  at  sea  for  about  a  fortnight, 
after  which  the  moulting  season  commences.  They  now  spread  themselves  about  the  cliffs 
and  along  the  shore,  often  climbing  in  their  uncouth  way,  into  places  which  one  would  have 
imagined  inaccessible  to  them.    Early  in  April  they  all  take  their  departure." 

Of  the  Albatross  he  says:  "  There  are  three  species  of  albatross  on  Inaccessible  Island: 
the  wandering  albatross,  Diomedea  exulans ;  the  mollymawk,  which  appears  to  be  here, 
D.  Chlororhyncha,  though  the  name  is  given  by  the  sealers  to  different  species,  —  certainly 
further  south  to  D.  Melanophrys ;  and  the  piew,  J),  fuliginosa.  About  two  hundred 
couples  of  the  wandering  albatross  visit  the  island.  They  arrive  and  alight  singly  on  the 
upper  plateau  early  in  December,  and  build  a  circular  nest  of  grass  and  clay,  about  a  foot 
high,  and  two  feet  or  so  in  diameter,  in  an  open  space  free  from  tussock  grass,  where  the 
bird  has  room  to  expand  his  wonderful  wings  and  rise  into  the  air.  The  female  lays  one  egg 
in  the  middle  of  January,  about  the  size  of  a  swan's,  white  with  a  band  of  small  brick-red 
spots  round  the  wider  end.     The  great  albatross  leaves  the  island  in  the  month  of  July. 

Lieutenant  Spry,  R.  N.  of  the  "  Challenger,"  writing  of  this  same  visit,  says  that 
the  whole  of  the  wet,  sodden  flat  lands  was  studded  with  large  white  albatrosses  sitting  on 
their  nests.  These  magnificent  birds  covered  the  ground  in  great  numbers.  It  was  evi- 
dently the  commencement  of  the  breeding  season,  as  few  eggs  were  obtainable.  "  These 
splendid  birds  weighing  twenty  pounds,  and  measuring  from  eleven  to  twelve  feet  from 
tip  to  tip  of  wing,  seen  to  such  advantage  while  in  their  glory  at  sea  as  they  sweep  so 
gracefully  through  the  air,  are  altogether  out  of  their  element  on  shore.  In  order  to  rise 
again  after  settling  on  the  land,  they  are  obliged  to  ~run  some  distance  before  they  obtain 
sufficient  velocity  for  the  air  to  get  under  their  wings  and  allow  them  to  feel  themselves 
masters  of  the  situation." 


THE   "GONY"   of  the  NORTH   PACIFIC. 


507 


of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  where  it  disappears;  and,  as  we  noted  in  Octo- 
ber, 1881,  soon  after  we  left  Ounalaska  these  birds  appeared  and  were 
with  us  continually  in  pleasant  or  stormy  weather,  until  we  approached 
San  Francisco.  The  majority  seen  were  young,  the  light-colored  birds 
being  observed  only  at  intervals.  Nearly  all  are  dark,  smoky  brown, 
but  here   and  there  may  be  seen  one  with  a  ring  of   white  feathers 


THE  ALBATROSS. 


around  the  rump  at  the  base  of  the  tail ;  and  all  have  a  marked  line  of 
white  surrounding  the  base  of  the  bill.  Those  with  the  white  on  the 
tail  almost  invariably  have  a  white  spot  under  each  eye.  The  graceful 
evolutions  of  these  birds  afford  one  of  the  most  pleasing  sights  during 
a  voyage  across  the  North  Pacific,  and  they  are  a  source  of  continual 
interest  during  the  otherwise  monotonous  passage."  The  black-footed 
albatross  and  another  species,  Diomedea  Brachyura^  the  short-tailed, 
appear  to  wander  occasionally  even  into  the  Arctic  Ocean.  (Cruise 
of  the"Corwin,"of  1881.) 

The  grraceful  evolutions  of  the  bird  attract  the  mariner  in  l)oth  the 
Northern  and  the  Southern  Seas. 


508  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE    ICE   ZONES. 

The  lines  of  Coleridge  seem  to  come  unbidden  before  one,  — 

"The  ice  was  here,  the  ice  was  there, 
The  ice  was  all  around, 
It  crack'd,  and  growl'd,  and  roar'd  and  howl'd, 
Like  noises  in  a  swound ! 


"Till  a  great  sea-bird  called  the 
Albatross  came  through  the  snow-fog, 
and  was  received  with  great  joy  and 
hospitality." 


At  length  did  cross  an  Albatross 
Thorough  the  fog  it  came ; 

As  if  it  had  been  a  Christian  soul. 
We  hailed  it  in  God's  name. 


"  And  lo  !  the  Albatross  proveth  a 
bird  of  (food  omen,  and  followeth  the 
ship  as  It  returned  northward  through 
fog  and  floating  ice." 


It  ate  the  food  it  ne'er  had  eat. 
And  round  and  round  it  flew ; 

The  ice  did  split  with  a  thunder-fit; 
The  helmsman  steered  us  through! 

And  a  good  south  wind  sprung  up  behind, 

The  Albatross  did  follow. 
And  every  day,  for  food  or  play. 

Came  to  the  mariners'  hollo  I 


In  mist  or  cloud,  on  mast  or  shroud. 

It  perched  for  vespers  nine; 
Whiles  all  the  night,  through  fog-smoke  white, 

Glimmered  the  white  moonshine." 

—  Rhyme  of  the  Ancient  Mariner. 


LAND   DISCOVERED. 

When  the  three  ships  lay  near  each  other,  January  16,  before  the 
occurrence  of  the  gale  which  has  been  noted,  albatrosses,  Cape  pigeons, 
and  petrels  were  seen  in  large  numbers ;  and  appearances,  believed  at 
the  time  to  be  land,  were  visible  from  all  the  three  ships.  "  The  com- 
parison of  these  observations,"  says  Wilkes,  "when  taken  in  connection 
with  the  more  positive  proofs  of  its  existence,  has  left  no  doubt  that  the 
appearance  was  not  deceptive.  From  this  day,  therefore,  we  date  the 
discovery  which  is  claimed  for  the  squadron."  The  Lieutenant  made  a 
sketch  of  what  he  himself  saw,  giving  this  sketch  in  his  Narrative  of  the 
Expedition ;  on  the  "  Porpoise,"  Lieutenant-Commanding  Ringgold 
reported  that  after  an  hour's  close  observation  to  see  whether  the  sun 
in  his  decline  would  change  the  color  of  the  large,  dark  object  seen 
over  the  field-ice,  and  resembling  a  mountain,  it  remained  the  same 


DISAPPOINTMENT    BAY.  509 

with  a  cloud  over  it  like  that  which  liovers  over  high  land.  He  wsis 
thoroughly  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  an  island  surrounded  by  ice-fields. 
On  the  "  Peacock  "  also,  Passed-Midshipmen  Eld  and  Reynolds  reported 
to  Hudson  land  seen  from  the  masthead,  —  a  statement  afterward  re- 
newed on  their  return  to  the  United  States.  "  The  mountains  could 
be  distinctly  seen  stretching  over  the  ice  to  the  southwest."  Two 
peaks  especially  were  distinctly  visible ;  the  sun  shone  brightly  upon 
ridge  after  ridge. 

On  the  19th  land  was  again  visible  from  the  "  Vincennes,"  and  Lieu- 
tenant (late  Admiral)  Alden  reported  it  twice  to  Lieutenant  Wilkes. 
The  ships  were  in  lat:  66°  20'  S.,  long.  154'^  30'  E. ;  at  3.30  p.  m.  land 
seen  by  all  on  board  the  "  Peacock  "  appeared  to  be  three  thousand  feet 
in  height.  Shortly  after  this  interesting  event,  the  "  Peacock  "  made  a 
narrow  escape  from  entire  destruction,  striking,  on  the  24th,  with  her 
larboard  quarter  on  an  ice  floe,  with  such  force  as  to  carry  away  her 
spanker  boom,  stern  boat,  spar-deck  bulwarks,  knee  binding  the  davit  to 
the  taffrail,  and  her  stanchions  as  far  as  the  gangway.  Happily,  rebound- 
ing from  the  shock,  she  cleared  the  ice,  barely,  however,  escaping  a  greater 
danger  by  the  falling  of  a  mass  of  ice  and  snow  which  would  have 
crushed  her  had  she  not  been  a  half  length  out  of  the  line  of  the  berg. 
Hudson  was  compelled  to  return  north  to  Sydney. 

January  23d,  the  "Vincennes"  again  steered  south,  entering  an 
open  watej  space,  but  by  midnight  reached  its  limit.  The  appearance 
of  land  was  observed  on  either  hand  east  and  west.  But  foiled  in  this 
attempt  to  reach  what  Wilkes  now  believed  to  be  a  continent,  he  stood 
out  of  the  bay,  naming  it  Disappointment  Bay,  by  which  name  it  still 
appears  on  the  charts.  A  gale  of  unusual  violence  prevailing  from  the 
southwest  and  southeast  during  thirty  hours  of  the  days  January  2t> 
to  31,  the  Medical  Officers  of  the  "  Vincennes"  after  its  moderating, 
found  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  ship  such  as  to  demand  of  tlieni  a 
special  report  which  they  made  to  the  Commander,  with  the  o])init»n 
that  a  few  more  days  of  such  exposure  as  the  crew  liad  already  under- 
gone would  reduce  their  number,  by  sickness,  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
hazard  the  safety  of  the  ship  and  the  lives  of  all  on  board.  Tlie  Com- 
mander asked  the  opinion  of  the  ward-room  officers  on  this  judgment 


510  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

of  tlie  surgeons ;  but  not  deeming  that  there  was  sufficient  cause  for 
departing  from  his  original  plan  of  passing  along  to  the  rendezvous 
appointed  for  the  squadron,  again  steered  south,  and  continued  his 
course  along  the  icy  barrier. 

February  2,  the  "  Vincennes  "  and  the  "  Porpoise  "  were  steering 
again  to  the  southward  among  ice  islands,  the  land  still  in  sight  and 
with  the  same  lofty  appearance  as  before.  Icy  cliffs  from  one  hundred 
and  fifty  to  two  hundred  feet  in  height  bounded  it  on  all  sides  ;  there 
was  no  appearance  whatever  of  rocks ;  all  was  covered  with  ice  and 
snow.  No  soundings  were  had  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms, 
although  the  water  was  much  discolored,  in  recording  which,  Wilkes 
says,  "The  badness  of  the  sea-line  was  a  great  annoyance  to  us,  for 
deeper  soundings  would  probably  have  obtained  bottom.  The  land 
still  trended  to  the  west  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  continued 
to  exhibit  the  same  character  as  before."  The  longitude  was  now  137" 
02'  E.,  lat.  66'~^  12'  S.,  the  magnetic  declination  westwardly.  Within 
the  last  few  days  the  sick  list  increased  to  twenty ;  ulcers  caused  by 
the  least  scratch  were  prevalent. 

On  the  7th,  many  whales,  penguins,  flocks  of  birds,  and  some  seals 
were  reported ;  the  outline  of  high  land  could  be  well  distinguished 
beyond  the  perpendicular  icy  barrier.  At  the  trend  of  the  land  here, 
Wilkes  named  a  point  Cape  Carr,  after  the  first  laeutenant  of  the 
"  Vincennes,"  its  position  was  long.  131°  40'  E.,  lat.  64°  49'  S. 

"  On  the  9th,"  says  Wilkes,  "  we  had  the  finest  day  we  had  yet  ex- 
perienced on  this  coast ;  the  wind  had  veered  from  the  east  to  the  south- 
west, and  given  us  a  clear,  bracing,  and  wholesome  atmosphere.  The 
barrier  exhibited  the  same  appearance  as  yesterday.  Our  longitude 
was  125°  19'  E.,  lat.  65°  08'  S.,  variation  32°  45'  westerly.  The  current 
was  tried  but  none  found ;  the  pot  was  only  visible  at  five  fathoms,  the 
color  of  the  water  a  dirty  green ;  the  dip  sector  gave  3'  15".  I  never 
saw  a  clearer  horizon,  or  one  better  defined,  than  we  had  to  the  north- 
ward. The  icy  barrier  really  was  beautiful.  At  midnight  we  had  a 
splendid  display  of  the  aurora  Australis,  extending  all  around  the 
northern  horizon  from  west-by-north  to  east-northeast.  Before  its 
appearance  a  few  clouds  only  were  seen  in  the  southeast,  on  which 


THE  ICE  BARRIER.  511 

the  setting  sun  cast  a  red  tint  that  barely  rendered  them  visible.  The 
horizon,  with  this  exception,  appeared  clear  and  well  defined.  The 
spurs  or  brushes  of  light  frequently  reached  the  zenith,  converging  to 
a  point  near  it. 

"Althougli  no  clouds  could  be  seen  in  the  direction  of  the  aurora 
before  or  after  its  appearance,  yet  when  it  was  first  seen,  there  appeared 
clouds  of  the  form  of  massive  cumuli,  tinged  with  pale  yellow,  and  be- 
hind them  arose  brilliant  red,  purple,  orange,  and  yellow  tints,  stream- 
ing upwards  in  innumerable  radiations,  with  all  the  shades  that  a 
combination  of  these  colors  could  effect.  In  its  most  brilliant  state  it 
lasted  about  twenty  minutes.  The  gold-leaf  electrometer  was  tried  but 
without  being  affected;  the  instrument,  however,  was  not  very  sensi- 
tive. Being  somewhat  surprised  at  the  vast  mass  of  cumuli  which 
appeared  during  the  continuance  of  the  aurora,  I  watched  after  its  dis- 
appearance until  daylight,  but  could  see  only  a  few  clouds ;  I  am 
therefore  inclined  to  impute  the  phenomenon  to  some  deception  caused 
by  the  light  of  the  aurora.  The  apparent  altitude  of  these  clouds 
was  8". 

"Running  close  along  the  barrier,  which  continued  of  the  same  char- 
acter, although  more  broken  than  yesterday,  we  saw  an  appearance  of 
land,  although  indistinctly,  to  the  southward.  The  water  was  of  the 
same  color  here  as  before,  and  the  wind  being  from  the  southeast,  we 
made  some  progress,  and  found  ourselves  in  long.  122°  35'  E.,  lat.  65° 
27'  S.,  the  variation  had  now  increased  to  44"^  38'  westerly.  No  aurora 
was  seen  this  night,  although  it  was  looked  for  anxiously. 

"  The  barometer  had  been  stationary  at  29.080  in.  for  the  last  three 
days;  it  now  began  to  fall;  the  temperature  of  the  air  was  31^  of  the 
water  32°.  The  fall  of  the  barometer  was  soon  followed  by  snow  and 
thick  weather.  The  trending  of  the  barrier  had  been  southwest-by- 
west,  and  a  good  deal  of  ice-floe  had  been  met  with,  wliich  wo  ran 
through.  The  sea  was  quite  smooth,  and  many  icebergs  were  enclosed 
in  the  barrier  which  was  very  compact,  and  composed  of  flat  fields. 

"During  the  12th  we  had  pleasant  weather,  and  at  2  a.m.  filled  away. 
At  8  A.M.  land  was  reported  to  the  southwest.  Keeping  along  the 
barrier,  and  increasing  our  latitude,  I  again  had  hopes  of  getting  near 


512  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

the  land.  We  passed  through  great  quantities  of  large  floe-ice  until 
1  p.  M.  when  the  solid  barrier  prevented  our  further  progress.  Land 
was  now  distinctly  seen  from  eighteen  to  twenty  miles  distant,  bearing 
from  south-southeast  to  southwest  —  a  lofty  mountain  range  covered 
with  snow,  though  showing  many  ridges  and  indentations.  I  laid  the 
ship  to  for  three  hours,  in  hopes  of  discovering  some  opening  or  move- 
ment in  the  ice,  but  none  was  experienced.  I  tried  the  current,  but 
found  none.  The  water  was  of  a  dark,  dirty  green.  We  sounded  with 
the  wire  line  in  two  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms,  and  found  no  bottom. 
The  temperature  at  that  depth  was  30^°,  of  the  air  31°.  The  barrier 
had  in  places  the  appearance  of  being  broken  up,  and  we  had  decreased 
our  longitude  to  112°  16'  12"  E.,  while  our  latitude  was  64°  57'  S.  This 
puts  the  land  in  about  65°  20'  S.,  and  its  trending  nearly  east  and  west. 
The  line  of  the  icy  barrier  was  generally  uniform,  although  it  was 
occasionally  pierced  with  deep  bays. 

"The  14th  was  remarkably  clear  and  the  land  very  distinct.  By 
measurement  we  made  the  extent  of  coast  of  the  Antarctic  Continent 
then  in  sight  seventy-five  miles,  and  by  approximate  measurement 
three  thousand  feet  high.  On  running  in,  several  icebergs  were  passed, 
which  were  greatly  discolored  with  earth ;  on  effecting  a  landing  on  an 
ice  island,  the  party  from  the  ships'  boats  found  embedded  in  it  gravel, 
sand,  mud,  and  boulders,  the  largest  of  which  was  about  five  or  six  feet 
in  diameter.  Many  specimens  were  obtained,  and  it  was  amusing  to 
see  the  eagerness  and  desire  of  all  hands  to  possess  themselves  of  a 
piece  of  the  Antarctic  Continent."  On  the  .17th  further  progress  to 
the  westward  was  cut  off  and  the  squadron  obliged  to  retrace  its  steps, 
a  large  number  of  whales  were  seen  of  the  fin-back  species  and  of 
i3xtraordinary  size ;  their  close  approach  was  proof  that  they  had  never 
bden  exposed  to  the  pursuit  of  skilful  hunters.  Their  blowings  re- 
sembled that  of  a  number  of  locomotives. 

The  Aurora  Australis  again  appeared  in  most  brilliant  form,  rays 
from  the  horizon  to  the  zenith  in  all  directions  in  the  most  bril- 
liant coruscations ;  others  proceeding  as  if  from  a  point  in  the  zenith, 
flashed  in  brilliant  pencillings  of  light,  like  sparks  of  electric  fluid  in 
vacuo,  and  reappeared  again  to  vanish  ;  forming  themselves  into  one 


CHART    «KNT    TO    KOSS.  513 

body,  like  an  umbrella,  or  fan,  shut  up ;  they  showed  all  the  prismatic 
colors  at  once  in  quick  succession.  So  remarkable  was  the  phenome- 
non that  even  the  sailors  were  constantly  exclaiming  in  admiration  of 
its  brilliancy.  The  best  position  in  which  to  view  it  was  by  lying  flat 
upon  the  deck,  and  looking  up.  The  electrometer  was  tried,  but  no 
effect  perceived.  The  star  Canopus  was  in  the  zenith  at  the  time,  and 
though  visible  through  the  am-ora,  was  much  diminished  in  brightness. 
On  this  night  also  the  moon  was  partially  eclipsed. 

Having  reached  97°  east,  where  the  "Vincennes  "  found  the  ice  trend- 
ing to  the  northward,  the  ship  followed  it  closely  to  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  position  where  Cook  was  stopped  by  the  barrier  in  1773.  The 
weather  was  now  stormy,  and  the  season  far  advanced ;  Wilkes  bore  up 
for  Sydney,  where  he  learned  that  news  had  been  received  of  the  dis- 
covery by  the  English  sealer,  "  Bellamy,"  of  land,  in  long.  165°  E.,  south 
of  and  near  the  position  where  the  "Vincennes"  had  struck  the  icy 
barrier.  He  also  heard  that  Captain  Sir  James  Ross  was  expected  from 
England,  and,  for  the  benefit  of  his  exploring  squadron,  forwarded  to 
Captain  Ross  a  tracing  of  the  chart  prepared  as  the  American  squadron 
had  passed  along  the  baiTier,  laying  down  the  land  not  only  where  it 
had  actually  been  determined  to  exist,  but  those  places  in  whicli  every 
appearance  denoted  its  existence,  forming  almost  a  continuous  line 
from  long.  160°  to  97'  East.  This  chart,  with  Wilkes'  notes  and  ex- 
perience, and  the  supposed  position  of  Bellamy's  Islands,  was  received 
by  Ross  at  Hobart  Town  some  months  previous  to  his  going  South.  In 
connection  with  the  statement  of  this  fact,  Wilkes  seems  very  justly  to 
have  expressed  his  surprise  that  Captain  Ross  afterward  should  iiave 
asserted  that  he  had  run  over  a  clear  ocean  where  he  (Wilkes)  had 
laid  down  the  land — Bellamy's — which  an  examination  of  the  chart 
would  have  assured  him  had  never  been  claimed  by  the  "Vincennes." 
He  also  remarks  that  "  on  reference  to  Captain  Ross's  chart  and  track 
it  will  be  seen  that  he  did  not  approach  near  enough  to  our  positions 
either  to  determine  errors  or  verify  results,  and  without  imputini;  any 
intentional  misrepresentation  it  would  seem  somewhat  unusual  that  on 
the  Captain's  chart  the  discoveries  of  others  (though  of  much  less 
importance)  should  be  misrepresented,  while   those  of  the  American 


614  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Expedition  were  omitted,  when  it  is  known  he  was  in  possession  of  our 
operations  more  fully  than  those  of  others." 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this  controversy  occurred,  as  well  as  the 
reported  declining  by  the  French  discovery  ships  under  D'Urville,  to 
recognize  in  this  region  the  flag  of  the  U.  S.  Steamer,  "  Peacock  ;  "  it 
was  thought  still  more  remarkable  even  in  England  that  Sir  James 
Ross  should  have  said  that  he  "  would  have  expected  the  national  pride 
of  both  the  American  and  French  Commanders  to  have  caused  them 
rather  to  choose  any  other  path  for  penetrating  southward  than  the 
place  for  the  exploration  of  which  his  expedition  was  preparing." 
Referring  to  this  last  statement  the  North  British  Review  (vol.  viii. 
1847-48)  says :  "  We  cannot  concur  with  our  excellent  author  in 
blaming  either  the  French  or  American  Commander.  The  British 
Expedition  might  never  have  sailed,  or  might  never  have  reached  its 
destination ;  and  in  such  an  event,  the  commanders  could  never  have 
justified  themselves  to  their  respective  governments,  had  they  omitted, 
from  any  feelings  of  delicacy,  to  take  the  best  path  to  the  Antarctic 
Pole."  The  tribute  from  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  London, 
which  here  follows,  is  an  example  of  the  generous  and  just  sentiments 
entertained  by  that  society  and  is  expressive  of  the  general  feeling  of 
explorers  and  geographers,  and  Sir  James  Ross  himself  has  testified  the 
merit  of  the  U.S.  Expedition  and  of  its  commander  in  the  language 
which  follows  the  address.  Mr.  W.  Hamilton,  who,  as  President  of 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  May  22,  1848,  presented  to  the  U.  S. 
Minister,  Mr.  Bancroft,  the  gold  medal  awarded  by  the  society  to 
Captain  Wilkes,  said  to  the  society :  — 

•'  Gentlemen,  —  Yon  have  jnst  heard  the  announcement  that  the  Council  has 
awarded  the  Founder's  medal  to  Captain  Wilkes,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  for  the 
zeal  and  intelligence  with  which  he  carried  out  the  Scientific  Exploring  Expedition 
entrusted  to  him  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States  in  the  years  1838- 
1842 ;  and  for  the  volumes  which  he  has  published,  detailing  the  narrative  of  that 
expedition. 

"  It  therefore  becomes  my  duty  to  endeavor  to  give  you  some  account  of  the  per- 
formances of  the  gallant  officer,  and  of  the  services  which  he  has  rendered  to  the 
progress  of  geography.  It  must  be  remembered  that  this  was  the  first  expedition 
ever  fitted  out  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States  for  scientific  purposes. 
Greater  difficulties  must,  therefore,  be  supposed  to  have  attended  its  organization 


THE  MEDAL  AWARDED.  515 

than  would  have  been  the  case  with  more  experience ;  on  the  other  hand,  merit  the 
of  success  is  proportionally  increased. 

"  The  expedition  left  the  Hampton  Roads  on  the  17th  of  August,  1838,  and  its 
first  scientific  operation  was  the  establishment  of  an  observatory  at  Orange  Harbor, 
in  Ten-a  del  Fuego;  here  some  of  the  vessels  remained  while  others  were  detached 
to  the  westward,  and  Captain  Wilkes  himself  proceeded  on  the  2oth  of  February  to 
the  South,  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  the  southeast  side  of  Palmer's  Land.  After 
reaching  lat.  63°  25'  S.,  finding  the  season  too  far  advanced  to  make  any  progiess 
against  the  ice,  he  turned  his  ship's  head  to  the  North,  and  the  whole  squadron  wjis 
soon  collected  at  Valparaiso.  Here  another  observatory  was  established.  A  scientific 
party  visited  the  bank  of  snow  from  which  the  city  is  supplied,  on  one  of  the  outlying 
ranges  of  the  Cordilleras,  the  principal  heights  of  wliich  rose  nearly  four  thousand 
feet  above  them ;  others  visited  the  mines  of  Chili.  They  then  proceeded  to  the 
coasts  of  Peru,  and  thence,  after  a  visit  to  the  interior  and  to  the  ruins  of  Pacha- 
camae,  commenced  their  explorations  in  the  Pacific. 

"On  the  26th  of  December,  1839,  they  left  Sydney,  and  first  fell  in  with  the  ice 
on  the  10th  of  January,  1840,  in  lat.  ei'^  8'  S.,  and  long.  162-'  32'  E. ;  and  on  the  11th 
some  of  the  officers  were  confident  they  saw  indications  of  land.  Captain  Wilkes 
does  not  rely  much  on  this;  but  on  the  16th  these  appearances  became  more  posi- 
tive, and  on  the  19th  they  distinctly  saw  land  in  long.  154-  30'  E.,  lat.  66"'  20'  S. 
Captain  Wilkes,  however,  only  dates  the  discovery  which  he  claims  for  his  expedi- 
tion from  the  land  seen  on  the  16th.  I  mention  this  the  more  anxiously  on  this 
occasion  on  account  of  the  contr'oversy  which  has  arisen  between  him  and  Sir  James 
Ross  who  sailed  over  the  spot  where  land  was  supposed  to  have  been  seen  on  the 
11th;  to  this,  however,  I  wish  to  allude  as  lightly  as  possible,  convinced  as  I  am, 
that  both  these  gallant  oflScei-s  have  only  been  anxious  to  establish  the  truth,  and  to 
advance  the  cause  of  science.  Undoubtedly  on  the  tracing  which  Captain  Wilkes 
furnished  to  Sir  James  Ross,  the  land  supposed  to  have  been  seen  on  the  11th  of 
January  is  sketched  in,  and,  as  a  measin*e  of  precaution,  it  was  jjerhaps  prudent  in 
Captain  Wilkes  so  to  do;  it  would  have  been  more  satisfactory  if  he  could  have 
stated  to  Sir  James  Ross,  as  he  had  done  in  his  published  account,  on  what  slight  and 
imperfect  evidence  its  existence  in  that  position  was  laid  down.  After  continuing 
his  explorations  of  the  Antarctic  Continent  as  far  to  the  westward  as  long.  97-  E., 
Captain  Wilkes  finding  his  provisions  short  and  the  season  fiir  advanced,  turned  his 
ship's  head  to  the  North  and  quitted  these  frozen  latitudes.  ...  I  regret  that  it  is 
impossible,  within  the  limits  of  this  address,  to  do  justice  to  the  contents  of  the  five 
volumes  in  which  Captain  Wilkes  has  described  the  progress  of  the  expedition;  but 
I  trust  I  have  done  enough  to  show  that  the  exertions  of  Captnin  Wilkes  and  the 
results  of  the  expedition  intrusted  to  him,  have  in  every  re.sixjct  been  such  .as  to 
entitle  him  to  the  highest  mark  of  distinction  which  it  is  in  the  power  of  this  society 
to  bestow." 

In  his  "Voyage  of  Discovery  and  Research  in  the  Southern  ami 
Antarctic  Regions,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  116,  Sir  James  Ross  says:  — 


616  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS  IN   THE  ICE  ZONES. 

"  The  arduous  and  persevering  exertions  of  the  American  Exploring 
Expedition,  continued  throughout  a  period  of  more  than  six  weeks 
under  circumstances  of  great  peril  and  hardship,  cannot  fail  to  reflect 
the  highest  credit  on  those  engaged  in  the  enterprise,  and  excite  the 
admiration  of  all  who  are  in  the  smallest  degree  acquainted  with  the 
laborious  nature  of  an  icy  navigation." 

Ross  was  more  successful  than  either  D'Urville  or  Wilkes.  The 
French  commander  had  been  the  first  to  propose  an  Antarctic  Expedi- 
tion. Ross's  squadron  was  better  fitted  for  ice  navigation,  and  the 
circumstances  attending  the  date  of  his  cruise  were  more  favorable.  He 
penetrated  to  78°  11',  discovering  what  he  named  Victoria  Land,  and 
following  its  coast  from  70°  to  79°  S.  lat.  On  its  northern  extremity  he 
discovered  two  active  volcanoes, — Mount  Erebus,  12,360  feet,  and  Mount 
Terror,  10,880  feet  in  height,  —  together  with  other  elevations  along  a 
coast,  steep,  rocky,  and,  like  nearly  all  the  Antarctic  lands,  utterly  bare 
of  all  but  ice  or  snow.  He  assigned  the  position  of  the  S.  Magnetic 
Pole  to  lat.  75°  5'  S.  ;  long.  154°  8'  E.*  His  whole  line  of  discovery 
retains  a  place  on  the  admiralty  charts. 

*  For  the  better  information  of  the  general  reader  the  following  notes  are  given  in  re- 
gard to  the  Dip  and  the  Variation  of  the  Needle.  In  regard  to  the  dip,  "Robert  Norman 
first  discovered  in  1576  that  if  a  bar  of  steel  be  supported  on  its  centre  of  gravity  so 
that  it  will  remain  necessarily  in  any  position  in  which  it  is  placed,  it  will,  after  having 
been  magnetized,  swing  into  the  magnetic  meridian  and  place  its  length  at  an  angle 
with  the  horizon.  In  the  northern  magnetic  hemisphere  the  north  end  of  the  needle 
points  downward,  making,  for  example,  at  New  York,  an  angle  of  about  73°  with  the 
horizon;  in  the  southern  magnetic  hemisphere  the  south  pole  of  the  magnet  points 
downward.  This  phenomenon  is  called  the  dip  of  the  needle.  We  shall  proceed  to 
examine  the  behavior  of  such  a  needle  when  it  is  carried  over  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
Proceeding  north  and  to  the  west  of  New  York,  we  shall  observe  the  north  end  of  the 
needle  dipping  more  and  more,  until,  having  reached  a  N.  lat.  of  70°  5',  and  a  W.  long, 
of  96°  46',  we  may  have  attained  the  position  where  Commander  James  Ross  in  1832 
first  observed  the  needle  taking  an  exactly  perpendicular  position.  This  point  is  called 
the  north  magnetic  pole  of  the  earth.  It  is  inferred  from  observations  on  the  dip  in  the 
Southern  Hemisphere  that  a  southern  magnetic  pole  —  where  the  needle  will  be  vertical 
with  its  south  pole  downward  —  exists  about  lat.  S.  70',  and  long,  125°  E.  of  Greenwich. 
This  would  place  this  pole  in  the  territory  discovered  by  our  countryman,  Wilkes.  No 
explorer,  however,  has  reached  the  south  magnetic  pole."  —  Johnson's  Encyclopedia. 

In  regard  to  the  variation  of  the  compass,  it  is  matter  of  observation  that  the  mag- 
net when  delicately  suspended  is  always  shifting  its  direction.  The  declination  is  called 
west  when  the  north  end  of  the  magnet  points  to  the  west  of  true  north,  and  east  when 


CONTRIBUTIONS  TO   THE  MUSEUM.  517 

Of  the  reported  discovery  of  an  Antarctic  Continent  by  Wilkes  the 
line  will  be  found  laid  down  on  the  Antarctic  charts  of  tl^  U.  S.  Hydro- 
graphic  Office,  as  taken  from  his  Official  Report.  Geographers  at 
present,  however,  believe  that  in  place  of  the  existence  of  an  unbroken 
continental  coast  line  there  is  a  chain  of  islands  in  this  quarter  of  the 
Antarctic  extending  from  the  95th  to  the  150th  meridian.  As  in  the 
case  of  Palmer's  Land,  which  has  been  referred  to,  so  in  regard  also 
to  the  discoveries  by  Wilkes,  very  little  credit  is  given  on  the  English 
charts. 

RESEARCHES   AND  COLLECTIONS. 

Whatever  impartial  judgment  may  be  passed  upon  these  reported 
discoveries  as  to  their  extent  or  their  geographical  value  in  such  almost 
unapproachable  regions,  the  scientific  researches  and  the  extensive  col- 
lections made  by  the  expedition  are  of  much  practical  value  to  science 
and  to  navigation.  The  late  Professor  Henry  in  his  Annual  Report  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  to  the  Board  of  Regents  for  the  year  1871, 
while  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  several  valued  collections  of  speci- 
mens for  the  National  Museum  (among  them  those  donated  by  Captam 
C.  F.  Hall  from  his  expedition  of  1864-69)  says  of  the  collection 
brought  home  by  Lieutenant  Wilkes,  that  "  the  basis  of  the  National 
Museum  is  the  collection  of  specimens  of  the  United  States  Exploring 
Expedition  under  Captain,  now  Admiral,  Wilkes,  originally  deposited 
in  the  Patent  Office,  and  transferred  to  the  Smithsonian  in  1858."'  In 
his  Report  for  the  year  1867,  when  enumerating  the  collections  in  the 
Museum  at  that  date,  he  had  said:  "The  collections  made  by  the 
Naval  Expedition,  1838-42,  are  supposed  greatly  to  exceed  those  of 
any  other  similar  character  fitted  out  by  any  government ;  no  jiublished 
series  of  results  comparing  in  magnitude  with  that  issued  under  the 
direction  of  the  Joint  Library  Committees  of  Congress.     The  collec- 

it  points  east  of  true  north.  Observations  for  this  variation  from  the  tnie  north,  are  a 
most  important  element  in  navigation,  the  want  of  these  having  doubtless  wrecked  many 
a  misguided  ship.     The  variation  at  Boston  in  IS'T?  was  11°  36'  W. 

For  a  most  interesting  and  full  historical  and  mathematical  discussion  of  both  dip  and 
variation,  see  Appendix  12,  "Report  of  U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey  for  1S82."  — 
C.  A.  Schott. 


618  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

tions  made  embrace  full  series  of  the  animals,  plants,  minerals,  and 
ethnological  'material  of  the  regions  visited.  They  not  only  afford  a 
basis  for  a  con^)arison  of  the  different  modes  of  life  and  stages  of 
advancement  among  existing  tribes,  but  an  important  means  of  deter- 
mining the  ethnological  relations  of  the  natives  of  the  present  day  to 
those  whose  ancient  remains  lie  thickly  strewn  over  our  whole  conti- 
nent. For  example,  implements  of  stone  and  of  bone  are  almost  every 
where  found,  the  workmanship  of  races  that  have  long  since  disappeared^ 
and  of  which  the  use  would  be  difficult  of  determination,  were  not 
similar  implements,  as  to  form  and  material,  found  in  actual  use  at  the 
present  day  among  savages,  particularly  those  inhabiting  the  various 
islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean." 

Professor  Henry  is  at  pains  to  state  that,  "  the  Museum  itself  is  not  an 
Institution  having  for  its  object  the  gratification  of  the  merely  curious, 
but  is  intended  to  embrace  a  collection  of  specimens  of  nature  and 
art  which  shall  exhibit  the  natural  resources  and  industries  of  the 
country,  or  to  present  at  one  view  the  materials  essential  to  the  condi- 
tion of  high  civilization  which  exists  in  the  different  States  of  the 
American  Union ;  to  show  the  various  processes  of  manufacture  Avhich 
have  been  adopted  by  us,  as  well  as  those  used  in  foreign  countries ;  in 
short,  to  form  a  great  educational  establishment  by  means  of  which  the 
inhabitants  of  our  own  country,  as  well  as  those  of  foreign  lands  who 
visit  our  shores,  may  be  informed  as  to  the  means  which  exist  in  the 
United  States  for  enjoyment  of  human  life  in  the  present,  and  the 
improvement  of  these  means  in  the  future."  In  this  connection  the 
reader  is  referred  to  the  recent  Reports  of  the  Smithsonian  now  in 
charge  of  Professor  S.  F.  Baird,  for  an  account  of  the  educational  char- 
acter of  this  museum  in  its  increasing  departments.  A  recent  arrange- 
ment made  under  the  sanction  of  Secretary  Chandler,  assigns  some  of 
the  junior  Naval  Officers  to  temporary  duty  at  the  Museum ;  a  most 
valuable  training  being  thus  provided  for  their  future  usefulness  as 
explorers  in  the  several  branches  of  science,  contributions  to  which 
they  will  be  led  to  secure  when  at  sea  and  in  foreign  lands.  The  total 
number  of  specimens  in  the  Museum,  not  yet  classified,  already  ex- 
ceeds 30,000. 


WlLKEs"    ADDiiESS.  519 

RESULTS  OF  THE  CRUISE   REPORTED   BY   LIEUTENANT   WILKES. 

Of  the  chief  results  of  the  Expedition,  Lieutenant  \^^lkes  in  his  Nar- 
rative and  in  an  Address  delivered  June  20,  1882,  before  the  National 
Institute,  the  predecessor  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  thus  speaks:  — 

"The  evidence  that  an  extensive  continent  lies  within  the  icy  bar- 
rier must  have  appeared  in  the  account  of  my  proceedings,  but  will  be, 
I  think,  more  forcibly  exhibited  by  a  comparison  with  the  aspect  of 
other  lands  in  the  same  southern  parallel.  Palmer's  Land,  for  instance, 
which  is  in  like  manner  invested  with  ice,  is  so  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year  only,  while  at  others  it  is  quite  clear,  because  strong  currents  pre- 
vail there,  which  sweep  the  ice  off  to  the  northeast.  Along  the  Antarc- 
tic continent  for  the  whole  distance  explored,  which  is  upwards  of  one 
thousand  five  hundred  miles,  no  open  strait  is  found.  The  coast,  where 
the  ice  permitted  approach,  was  found  enveloped  with  a  perpendicular 
barrier,  in  some  cases  unbroken  for  fifty  miles.  If  there  was  only  a 
chain  of  islands,  the  outline  of  the  ice  would  undoubtedly  be  of  another 
form ;  and  it  is  scarcely  to  be  conceived  that  so  long  a  chain  could  ex- 
tend so  nearly  in  the  same  parallel  of  latitude.  The  land  has  none  of 
the  abruptness  of  termination  that  the  islands  of  high  southern  lati- 
tude exhibit;  and  I  am  satisfied  that  it  exists  in  one  uninterrupted  line 
of  coast  from  Ringgold's  Knoll,  in  the  east,  to  Enderby's  Land  in  the 
west ;  that  the  coast  (at  long.  95°  E.)  trends  to  the  north,  and  this  ^vill 
account  for  the  icy  barrier  existing,  with  little  alternation,  where  it  was 
seen  by  Cook  in  1773.  The  vast  number  of  ice  islands  conclusively 
points  out  that  there  is  some  extensive  nucleus  which  retains  them  in 
their  position ;  for  I  can  see  no  reason  why  the  ice  should  not  be  dis- 
engaged from  islands,  if  they  were  such,  as  happens  in  all  other  cases 
in  like  latitudes.  The  formation  of  the  coast  is  different  from  what 
would  probably  be  found  near  islands,  soundings  being  obtained  in 
comparatively  shoal  water ;  and  the  color  of  the  water  also  indicates 
that  it  is  not  like  other  southern  lands,  abrupt  and  precipitous.  This 
cause  is  sufficient  to  retain  the  huge  masses  of  ice  by  their  being 
attached  by  their  lower  surfaces  instead  of  their  sides  only."  Of  the 
scientific  work  of  the  Expedition,  he  says :  — 


520  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  20NSS. 

"  At  all  the  important  points  of  the  cruise  an  observatory  was  estab- 
lished, and  the  longitude  determined  by  moon-culminating  stars  in  con- 
nection with  similar  observations  at  Cambridge  (Mass.)  University, 
by  Professor  Bond,  and  at  Washington,  by  Lieutenant  Gilliss.  The 
latitude  was  deduced  by  circummeridian  observations  of  the  sun  and 
stars ;  meridian  distances  were  carried  throughout  the  route  by  chron- 
ometers from  and  to  well  established  points ;  every  opportunity  was 
taken  to  determine  the  true  position  of  islands,  reefs,  etc.,  by  observa- 
tions made  on  shore ;  the  labors  in  hydrography  were  exteiKive ;  in  all 
the  explorations,  the  constant  aim  was  to  obtain  useful  results  ;  partic- 
ular attention  was  paid  to  ascertain  whether  wood,  water,  and  what 
kind  of  refreshments  (if  any)  could  be  had ;  anchorages  were  looked 
for  and  surveyed ;  and  the  character  of  the  natives  and  the  kind  of 
treatment  that  may  be  expected  from  them. 

"  In  magnetism,  observations  were  made  at  fifty-seven  stations,  for 
dip  and  intensity ;  and  at  every  point  where  the  ships  remained  a  suf- 
ficient time,  for  diurnal  variation  ;  the  dip  was  observed  at  sea  fre- 
quently, and  the  ship's  head  always  kept  north  and  south  whilst  the 
observations  were  making ;  very  many  attempts  were  made  to  observe 
the  intensity  at  sea,  both  by  horizontal  and  vertical  vibrations,  but 
Wilkes  was  never  able  to  satisfy  himself  with  the  results,  whatever 
others  may  have  done. 

"For  the  determination  of  the  Southern  Magnetic  Pole,  he  had 
variation  observations  from  35°  easterly  variation  to  59°  west,  between 
the  longitudes  of  97°  and  165°  east,  nearly  on  the  same  parallel  of  lati- 
tude ;  which  will  give  numerous  convergent  lines  through  that  space  for 
its  determination  ;  the  greatest  dip  was  87°  30'.  The  summit  of  Momia 
Loa,  thirteen  thousand  four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
was  among  the  magnetic  stations ;  the  pendulums  were  swung  at  six 
stations,  one  of  these  at  the  summit  of  Mouna  Loa  and  another  at  its 
foot ;  full  meteorological  journals  were  kept  during  the  whole  cruise  — 
the  hours  of  observation,  3  and  9  P.  M.,  and  3  and  9  A.  m.  ;  the  tempera- 
ture at  the  masthead  taken  at  the  same  hours ;  that  of  the  air  and  water 
every  hour  during  the  cruise,  at  sea  and  in  port ;  when  in  port,  ther- 
mometers were  sunk,  and  the  temperature  of  springs,  wells,  and  caves 
taken  for  tho  mean  temperature  of  the  climate. 


COLLECTIONS   AND   PUBLICATIONS.  621 

"  In  botany  about  ten  thousand  species  were  obtained,  and  from  three 
to  five  specimens  of  each,  all  brought  or  sent  home  in  a  dried  state. 
About  one  hundred  specimens  of  living  plants  were  brought  home  in 
cases ;  among  them  several  East  India  fruits  and  other  plants  from  that 
region,  supposed  to  be  rarely  found  in  European  conservatories. 

"In  the  Geological  and  Mineralogical  Departments,  under  Mr.  Dana, 
much  industry  and  research  were  expended;  about  eleven  hundred 
species  of  Crustacea  were  figured ;  among  them  many  new  forms  illus- 
trative of  general  anatomy  and  physiology.  In  a  word,  extensive  col- 
lections of  specimens  were  made  in  all  the  Departments  of  Natural 
History." 

THE    COLLECTIONS   AND   PUBLICATIONS. 

By  a  liberal  appropriation.  Congress  promptly  made  provisions  for 
the  arrangement  and  preservation  of  the  collections  referred  to,  placing 
them  first  in  the  charge  of  the  Patent  Office,  and  annuall}*  appropriat- 
ing for  their  care  the  sum  of  $5,000. 

By  very  appreciative  further  appropriations,  the  publication  of  the 
Narrative  of  the  Expedition  was  secured  in  five  quarto  volumes,  and 
these  were  at  different  dates  followed  by  the  issue  of  eleven  volumes, 
exhibiting  some  of  the  work  done  by  the  several  gentlemen  of  the  Scien- 
tific Corps.     Parts  of  the  work  were  unfortunately  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  volumes  were  published  and  distributed  under  special  Act«  or 
Resolutions  of  Congress,  primarily  to  the  Libraries  of  Foreign  Govern- 
ments and  to  those  of  the  States  of  the  Union.  One  copy  was  donated 
to  the  Commander  of  the  Expedition,  and  one  to  Captain  Hudson:  tlu' 
distribution  being  made  from  the  first,  in  accordance  only  with  the 
Reports  of  the  Joint  Library  Committee,  in  whose  charge  the  volumes 
which  may  remain,  still  are.  The  list  of  all  which  have  been  published 
is  as  follows  (Catalogue  of  Library  of  Congress,  1864)  : 

Vols.  l-o.     Narratives.     4to.     With  Atlas. 

Vol.  6.     Ethnogmphy  and  Philology.     4to.     H.  Hale. 

Vol.  7.     Zoophytes.     4to.     Atlas  folio.     J.  I).  Dana. 

Vol.  8.     Mammalogy  and  Ornithology.     4to.     Atl.is  folio.     .John  Cossin. 

Vol.12.     Mollusca  and  Shells.     4to.     Atlas  folio.     A.A.Gould. 

Vols.  13,  14.     Crustacea.     2  vols.     4to.     Atlas  folio.     J.  D.  Dana. 


522  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Vol.  15.     Botany.     (Part  I.)     Phanerogainia.     4to.     Atlas  folio.     Asa  Gray. 
Vol.  16.     Botany.      (Part  II.)      Cryptogamia,  Filices,    including  Lycopodiaceae 

and  Hydropterides.     dto.     Atlas  folio.     W.  D.  Brackenridge. 
Vol.  20,     Herpetology.     4to.    Atlas  folio.     Prepared  under  the  superintendence 

of  Prof.  S.  F.  Baird. 
Atlas  of  Charts  from  the  Surveys  of  the  Expedition.     2  vols.     Folio. 

A  popular  edition  of  the  Narrative  in  five  volumes,  including  also 
some  of  the  notes  of  the  scientific  work,  was  issued  in  Philadelphia, 
under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenant  Wilkes.  This  edition  can  still  be 
procured  at  the  book-stores. 


Note  I.  —  In  his  lai'ger  edition  of  the  Narrative,  Lieutenant  Wilkes  has  some 
notes  on  the  ice  formations  in  the  Antarctic,  possessing  interest  to  the  general  reader 
as  well  as  to  the  navigator.     He  says :  — 

"  Much  inquiry  and  a  strong  desire  has  been  evinced  by  geologists,  to  ascertain 
the  extent  to  which  these  ice-islands  travel,  the  boulders  and  masses  of  earth  they 
transport,  and  the  direction  they  take. 

*'  From  my  own  observations  and  the  information  I  have  collected,  thei-e  appears 
a  great  difference  in  the  movements  of  these  masses;  in  some  years,  great  numbers 
of  them  have  floated  north  from  the  Antarctic  circle  and  even  at  times  obstructed  the 
navigation  about  the  capes.  The  year  1832  was  remarkable  in  this  respect;  many 
vessels  bound  round  Cape  Horn  from  the  Pacific,  were  obliged  to  put  back  to  Chili, 
in  consequence  of  the  dangers  arising  from  ice ;  while,  during  the  preceding  and 
following  years,  little  or  none  were  seen ;  this  would  lead  to  the  belief,  that  great 
changes  must  take  place  in  the  higher  latitudes,  or  the  prevalence  of  some  cause  to 
detach  the  ice-islands  from  the  ban-ier  in  such  great  quantities  as  to  cover  almost 
the  entire  section  of  the  ocean  south  of  lat.  .50°  S.  Taking  the  early  part  of  the 
(southern)  spring,  as  the  time  of  separation,  we  are  enabled  to  make  some  estimate 
of  the  velocity  with  which  they  move;  many  masters  of  vessels  have  met  them, 
some  six  or  seven  hundred  miles  from  the  barrier,  from  sixty  to  eighty  days  after 
this  period,  which  will  give  a  near  approximation  to  our  results  heretofore  stated. 

"  The  season  of  1839-40  was  considered  as  an  open  one,  from  the  lai-ge  masses 
of  ice  that  were  met  with  in  a  low  latitude,  by  vessels  that  arrived  from  Europe  at 
Sydney ;  many  of  them  were  seen  as  far  north  as  lat.  42°  S. 

"  The  causes  that  prevail  to  detach  and  carry  them  north  ai-e  difficult  to  assign. 
I  have  referred  to  the  most  probable  ones  that  would  detach  them  from  the  parent 
mass  in  their  formation.  Our  frequent  trials  of  currents,  as  has  been  stated,  did  not 
give  us  the  assurance  that  any  existed ;  but  there  is  little  doubt  in  my  mind  that  they 
do  prevail.  I  should  not,  however,  look  to  a  surface  current  as  being  the  motive 
power  that  carries  these  immense  masses  at  the  rate  they  move ;   comparatively 


NOTES.  523 

speaking,  their  great  bulk  is  below  the  influence  of  any  surface  current,  and  the 
rapid  drift  of  these  masses  by  winds  is  still  more  improbalile;  therefore  I  conceive 
we  must  look  to  an  under  current  as  their  great  propeller.  In  one  trial  of  the  deep- 
sea  thermometer,  we  found  the  temperature  beneath  four  degrees  warmer  than  tlie 
surface.  Off  Cape  Horn,  the  under  temperature  was  found  :is  cold  sis  among  the  ice 
itself;  repeated  experiments  have  shown  the  same  to  occur  in  the  Arctic  regions. 
From  this  I  would  draw  the  conclusion  that  changes  are  going  on,  and  it  appears  to 
me  to  be  veiy  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  at  periotls,  currents  to  and  from  the  Poles 
should  at  times  exist ;  it  is  true,  we  most  generally  find  the  latter  to  prevail,  as  far 
as  our  knowledge  of  facts  extends,  but  we  have  not  sufficient  information  to  decide 
that  there  is  not  a  reflow  toward  the  Pole ;  the  veiy  circumstance  of  the  current  set- 
ting from  the  higher  latitudes,  would  seem  a  good  argument  that  there  must  be  some 
counter-current  to  maintain  the  level  of  the  waters.  These  masses,  then,  are  most 
probably  carried  away  in  the  seasons  when  the  polar  streams  are  the  strongest,  and 
are  borne  along  by  them  at  the  velocity  with  which  they  move ;  that  these  do  not 
occur  annually  may  be  inferred  from  the  absence  of  ice-i.slands  in  the  lower  latitudes ; 
and  that  it  is  not  from  the  scarcity  of  them,  those  who  shared  the  dangei-s  of  the 
Antai'ctic  cruise,  will,  I  have  little  doubt,  be  ready  to  testify ;  for,  although  great 
numbei-s  of  them  studded  the  ocean  that  year,  yet  the  narrative  shows  tliat  vast 
numbers  were  left. 

"  The  specific  gravity  of  the  ice  varies  veiy  much  as  might  naturally  be  expected ; 
for  while  some  of  it  is  porous  and  of  a  snowy  texture  other  ishinds  are  in  great  part 
composed  of  a  compact,  blue-flinty  ice.  This  difference  is  occasioned  by  the  latter 
becoming  saturated  with  water,  which  afterward  freezes. 

"On  the  ice  there  was  usually  a  covering  of  about  two  feet  of  snow,  which  in 
places  had  upon  it  a  crust  of  ice  not  strong  enough  to  bear  the  weight  of  a  man. 
Those  ice-islands,  which  after  having  been  once  seen,  were  again  passed  through 
immediately  after  a  gale,  were  observed  to  be  changed  in  apjwarance ;  but  though 
for  forty-eight  hours  a  severe  storm  had  been  experienced,  they  had  not  undergone 
so  great  a  transformation  as  not  to  be  recognized.  They  also  appeared  to  have 
shifted  their  position  with  regard  to  one  another,  their  former  bijis  and  tendings 
being  broken  up. 

"  During  our  stay  on  the  icy  coast,  I  saw  nothing  of  what  is  termed  pack-ice,  — 
that  is  pieces  forced  one  upon  the  other  by  the  action  of  the  sea  or  currents." 

Note  II.  —  The  English  Admiralty  charts  show  that  all  along  the  southern  jxirt 
of  the  South  Atlantic  Ocean  ice  is  found,  brought  by  the  Antarctic  polar  currents  and 
reaching  different  parallels,  according  to  the  meridian  on  which  it  happens  to  float, 
as  also  according  to  the  season  of  the  year.  During  the  southern  summer,  from 
January  to  Mai'ch,  the  icebergs  reach  the  highest  points  and  sometimes  are  found 
nearly  up  to  40°  S.,  between  20°  and  25°  W. 

Admiralty  Chart  No.  1,241,  issued  June  50, 1874,  is  an  Ice  Chart  of  the  Southern 
Hemisphere,  compiled  from  the  voyages  of  Cook,  Bellingshausen,  Wedtlell,  Foster. 
Biscoe,  Balleny,  D'Urville,  Wilkes,  and  Ross,  the  chief  explorers  from  the  years  1772 


524  AJVCERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

to  1841,  and  from  other  sources  as  late  as  1865.  The  chart  has  been  issued  because 
of  the  adoption  by  modern  navigators  of  routes  approaching  more  or  less  to  a  great 
circle  course,  shortening  the  distance  to  and  from  Australia.  The  dangers  to  be 
apprehended  from  contact  with  the  ice  in  these  high  latitudes  is  stated  to  be  far 
greater  than  has  been  generally  supposed.  The  vast  disrupted  masses  drifted  by  the 
influence  of  winds  and  currents  to  lower  latitudes  have  seriously  embarrassed,  de- 
layed, and  imperilled  navigation.  "The  greatest  number  of  icebergs  hitherto 
sighted,"  says  Commodore  Evans,  R.  N.,  the  compiler  of  the  Chart,  *'  in  the  tracks 
of  ordinary  navigators,  have  been  in  the  months  of  November,  December,  and  Jan- 
uary, and  the  least  in  June  and  July,  the  proportions  of  those  seen  in  these  months 
to  the  number  seen  in  December  being  as  1  to  13."  The  French  Sailing  Dii-ec- 
tions  of  Labrosse,  translated  by  Lieutenant  J.  W.  Miller  for  U.  S.  Hydrographic  Office, 
as  well  as  the  chart  just  referred  to,  give  the  latitude-limits  of  floating  ice  which  from 
April  1  to  October  1  is  rarely  to  be  found  north  of  lat.  50°  S.,  or  even  there  except 
between  the  meridians  148^^  and  93°  W.  From  October  1,  stray  bergs  sometimes, 
though  rarely,  drift  as  far  north  as  40°.  They  are  always  to  be  feared  during  the 
southern  winter,  during  which  they  constitute  a  real  danger,  and  the  principal  dif- 
ficulty in  making  a  passage  from  Australia,  New  Caledonia,  New  Zealand,  or  Tahiti, 
to  Cape  Horn.  They  are,  however,  most  numei'ous  in  the  southern  summer  when 
the  nights  are  short. 

Jan.  1,  1867,  Captain  Guerin  of  the  "  St.  Paul,"  sailing  between  46°  and  47° 
south,  and  4°  and  12°  east,  was  completely  surrounded  by  icebergs,  the  principal  of 
which  were  from  one  hundred  and  sixty  to  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  high. 
Nothing  had  announced  their  approach,  the  thermometer  showing  no  sudden  change  in 
their  vicinity,  and  the  only  peculiarities  noticed  being  thick  fogs,  the  absence  of 
birds,  an  unusually  smooth  sea,  and  some  old  pieces  of  wreck.  A  good  ice  chart  will 
be  found  in  Steiler's  Atlas. 

Note  III.  —  The  general  reader  will  not  have  failed  to  notice  the  dift'erence  in 
the  ice  formation,  found  in  the  Antarctic  Ocean  fi'om  those  in  the  Arctic,  and  the  dif- 
ference between  those  of  the  Greenland  Seas  and  those  noith  of  Bei-ing  Straits.  Bergs 
in  the  Antarctic  have  been  sighted  whose  height  was  recoi'ded  by  responsible  cap- 
tains as  from  four  hundred  and  twenty  to  nine  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  The  extent 
of  the  fields  also  exceeds  that  of  the  bergs  in  the  north ;  the  largest  field  reported 
according  to  ToWson  (endorsed  by  Fitzroy),  being  sixty  miles  by  forty.  It  was 
passed  by  twenty-one  ships  during  tlie  months  of  January  to  May.  No  icebergs  ex- 
ceeding half  the  height  here  named  have  been  seen  in  the  Arctic,  nor  have  masses 
of  ice-fields  of  such  extent  been  met  with  in  the  sea  north  of  Bering  Sti-ait. 

"  In  another  respect  the  Antarctic  bergs  exceed  those  of  the  North.  The  coloring 
of  the  crevasses,  caves,  and  hollows  of  the  icebergs  of  the  Antarctic  regions  is  of  the 
deepest  blue,  a  more  powerful  color  than  that  seen  on  the  ice  of  the  Swiss  glaciers. 
In  the  case  of  the  bergs  with  all  their  sides  exposed,  no  doubt  a  greater  amount  of 
light  is  able  to  penetrate  than  in  glaciers  where  the  light  usually  enters  only  at  the 
top."  — '  Voyage  of  the  "  Challenger ^ 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

SUMMARY  OF  THE  EXPEDITIONS,   BENEFICIAL  RESULTS. 

THE  AMERICAN  ARCTIC  EXPEDITIONS^ — HIGHEST  POINTS  REACHED. — 
VALUE  OF  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS  ENDORSED  BY  WEYPRECHT,  MAURY, 
HENRY,  BACHE,  BARROW,  AND  OSBORN.  —  METEOROLOGICAL  STA- 
TIONS IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. — THEIR  PURPOSE  DISTINCT  FROM  THE  POLAR 
PROBLEM.  —  LIEUTENANT   WEYPRECHT's   PROPOSITION.  —  STATIONS 

under  the  international  commission  recommended  by  pro- 
fessor henry.  —  preliminary  voyage  of  the  ''^florence." — 
Sherman's  and  kumlien's  reports.  —  signal  service  station 
at  lady  franklin  bay.  —  unsuccessful  attempts  for  relief. 

—  signal  service  station  near  point  barrow.  —  preliminary 
reports.  —  geographical  discovery.  —  benefits  to  the  whale 
fisheries.  —  small  number  of  lives  lost  in  the  expeditions. 

—  further  explorations. 

IN  the  first  Chapter  of  this  Volume  it  was  said  that  although  the  origi- 
nal objects  of  the  Explorations  which  would  be  discussed  had  not 
been  secured,  their  incidental  results  have  more  than  compensated 
for  all  expenditure  of  thought  and  money,  and  all  of  exposure  and  disai> 
pointment  experienced  by  the  explorers.  The  record  of  their  labors 
which  has  now  been  made,  must  confirm,  it  is  believed,  this  impartial 
judgment,  which  certainly  is  that  expressed  by  some  of  the  ablest  and 
most  trustworthy  in  scientific  circles,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  Refer- 
ring to  what  has  been  thus  far  accomplished  in  the  northern  zone,  Lieu- 
tenant Maury  has  said  :  "  Voj'ages  of  discovery,  with  their  fascinations 
and  their  charms,  have  led  many  a  noble  champion  both  into  the  torrid 
and  frigid  zones ;  and  notwithstanding  the  hardships,  sufferings,  and 
disasters  to  which  northern  parties  have  found  tliemselves  exposed, 
seafaring  men,  as  science  has  advanced,  have  looked  with  deeper  and 
deeper  longings  toward  the  mystic  circles  of  the  polar  regions.  There, 
icebergs  are  framed  and  glaciers  launched.  There  the  tides  have  their 
cradle  :  the  whales,  their  nursery.    There  the  winds  complete  their  cir- 


526  AMERICAN  EXPLORAIIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

ciiits  and  the  currents  of  the  sea  their  ro»ud  in  the  wonderful  system 
of  oceanic  circulation.  There  the  Aurora  Borealis?  is  lighted  up  and 
the  trembling  needle  brought  to  rest ;  and  there,  too,  in  the  mazes  of 
that  mystic  circle,  terrestrial  forces  of  occult  power  and  of  vast  influ- 
ence upon  the  well-being  of  man  are  continually  at  play.  Within  the 
Arctic  circle  is  the  pole  of  the  winds  and  the  poles  of  the  cold,  the  pole 
of  the 'earth  and  of  the  magnet.  It  is  a  circle  of  mysteries;  and  the 
desire  to  enter  it,  to  explore  its  untrodden  wastes  and  secret  chambers, 
and  to  study  its  physical  aspects,  has  grown  into  a  longing.  Noble 
daring  has  made  Arctic  ice  and  waters  classic  ground.  It  is  no  feverish 
excitement  nor  vain  ambition  that  leads  man  there.  It  is  a  higher  feel- 
ing, a  holier  motive,  — a  desire  to  look  into  the  works  of  creation,  to 
comprehend  the  economy  of  our  planet,  and  to  grow  wiser  and  better 
by  the  knowledge." 

Yet  higher  authorities  sustain  the  value  of  the  explorations,  as  well 
as  the  interest  inseparable  from  them.  Those  of  Professors  Bache  and 
Henry  only  need  be  cited.  Henry,  in  his  Report  as  Secretary  of  the 
Smithsonian  for  the  year  1858,  quotes  and  accords  with  the  judgment 
of  Professor  Bache,  as  expressed  before  the  American  Association, 
when  he  says  that  some  of  the  most  important  contributions  to  our 
knowledge  of  natural  history  and  physical  phenomena  were  made  by 
Doctor  Kane,  on  the  second  Grinnell  Expedition ;  and  this  judgment 
of  both  the  learned  professors  is  expressed  in  terms  as  full  and  unquali- 
fied upon  the  explorations  subsequently  made  by  Doctor  Hayes. 

For  these  expeditions  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  for  those  of  Lieutenant 
Wilkes  in  the  Antarctic,  and  indeed  for  every  expedition  sent  forth 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Government,  special  instructions  have  been 
successively  laid  down  by  their  respective  authorities,  for  the  investiga- 
tion of  such  questions  as  the  facilities  of  their  journeyings  b}""  sea  or 
by  land  should  offer  for  the  advancement  of  knowledge.  The  obser- 
vations of  natural  phenomena  in  newly-explored  regions,  and  the  col- 
lections of  typical  objects,  were  to  be  and  have  been,  continuously  and 
increasingly,  matters  commanding  the  labors  and  time  of  the  numerous 
corps  of  scientists  selected  from  the  Army  and  Navy  and  from 
civil  life. 


AMERICAN   EXPEDITIONS. 


627 


To  furnish  a  reply  to  many  inquiries  on  the  part  of  those  interested 
in  Arctic  explorations,  the  dates  of  the  publication  of  the  chief  volumes 
narrating  these  are  given  in  the  Appendix.* 

*  The  Table  below  presents  a  list  of  the  American  Arctic  Expeditions  which  have  ex- 
plored the  northeast  and  northwest  coast  of  America,  via  Baffin's  Bay  and  Bering  Straits. 

Tablk. 


Tear. 


Ship, 


Commander. 


Position  Reached. 


1850-52 
1853-55 
1855  . 

1855  . 

1860  . 
1860  . 
1864.-69 
1871-73 

1873  . 
1878  . 

1879-81 

1880  . 

1881  . 

1881  . 


1881 


Advance 
Rescue 

Advance 

Release 
Arctic  . 


Vincennes    .     .     . 

George  Henry  .     . 

The  United  States, 

Monticello     .     .    . 

U.  S.  S.  Polaris .     . 

U.  S.  S.  Tigress      . 

Juniata    .     .     .     . 
Land    Expedition, 

Jeannette     .     .    . 

U.  S.  S.  Corwin  (R. 
steamer)    ,     .     . 

Do.  (Second  cruise) 
U.  S.  S.  Rodgers    . 


U.S.S.  Alliance  . 


Lieut.    DeHaven,    U.  S.  X 
Lieut.  Griffin,  U.  S,  N. 

Dr.  E.  K.  Kane     .     . 

Lieut.  Hartstene,  U.  S.  N 
Lieut.  Sirams,  U.  S.  X 

Com.  John  Rodgers 

Charles  F.  Hall 

I.  I.  Hayes    .     . 

Charles  F.  Hall 

Charles  F.  Hall 

Com.  J.  A.  Greer 

Com.  D.  L.  Braine 
Lieut.  Schwatka,  U.  S.  N 

Lieut.  De  Long .... 

Capt.  C.  L.  Hooper   .    . 
Capt.  C.  L.  Hooper  .    . 

Lieut.  R.  M.  Berry    .    . 


In  the  Eastern  Hemisphere, 
Capt.G.  H.  Wadleigh     .    . 


(  Beechey  Island,  lat.  75°  24' 
i     N. 

By  sledges,  lat.  80°  56'  N. 
j  Relief  of  Kane,  lat.  78°  32* 
1      N. 

(  Through  Bering  Straits,  lat. 
\     72°  5'  N. 

Frobisher  Bay,  lat.  62°  N. 
By  sledge,  lat.  81=' 35' N. 
King  William's  Land. 
By  ship,  lat.  82°  16'  N. 
Tessiussak,  Greenland. 

{Tessiussak,  Greenland. 
King  William's  Land. 

f  North  of  Bering  Straits, 
crushed  Jime  13.  ISSl.lat. 
77^  14'  57"  N.,  long.  154° 
58' 45"  E. 

(  Relief  of  the  Jeannette,  lat. 
)     70°55'N.,long.l73°50'E. 

Wrangell  Land. 

Relief  of  Jeannette.  lat.  73° 
28'  N.,long.l79'^ 05' 02"  E. 
(Burned  in  .St.  I^awrence 
Bay,  Nov.  30,  1881.) 


(Lat.80°10'N.,long.  11°22' 
(     E.,  Relief  of  Jeannette. 


Closing  the  list  of  those  which  have  gone  out  under  the  Government  of  the  United 
States,  are  the  Arctic  Meteorological  Stations  for  the  United  States  Signal  .Service  ; 

Under  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely,  U.S.  A.,  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  lat.  81°  44'  N.  Ion. 
64°  30'  W ; 

Under  Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.,  Point  Barrow,  Alaska,  lat.  71°  18'  N.,  Ion.  i:^° 
24' W. 

These  Expeditions  had  for  their  primary  objects  meteorological  observations  in  con- 
nection with  the  other  stations  of  the  International  Polar  Commission. 


528  AMERICAIf  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

THE  COLLECTIONS   OF   ILLUSTEATIVE   SPECIMENS. 

Reference  has  already  been  made,  in  the  narrative  of  the  Wilkes 
Expedition,  to  the  extent  and  value  of  the  collections  brought  home 
by  that  expedition,  and  accredited  by  Professor  Henry  as  the  basis  of 
the  present  extensive  National  Museum  at  Washington. 

Of  the  Bering  Straits  Expedition  under  Lieutenant  (late  Admiral) 
Rodgers,  the  Smithsonian  Report  of  1856  says :  "  The  natural  history  re- 
sults were  of  great  magnitude,  and  embraced  many  new  and  rare  species ; 
the  collections  made  by  the  naturalists,  Stimpson  and  Wright,  being 
made  first  under  Commander  Ringgold  in  the  South  Pacific  and  China 
,  Seas  and  afterward  largely  increased  by  those  secured,  around  Japan, 
Kamtchatka,  in  the  Straits,  and  on  the  California  coast."  "  The  whole 
of  a  very  rich  collection  of  invertebrates,  made  in  the  Arctic  Seas,"  says 
Professor  Henry,  "was  dredged  from  the  'Vincennes,'  under  the  imme- 
diate superintendence  of  Captain  Rodgers  himself,  while  the  Scientific 
Corps  were  engaged  in  another  portion  of  Bering  Straits."  To  these 
valued  additions  were  also  made  by  the  Japan  Expedition,  under  Com- 
modore Perry ;  by  Captain  Page,  in  his  exploration  and  survey  of  the 
La  Plata  and  its  tributaries;  by  Lieutenants  Herndon  and  Gibbon, 
from  their  work  on  the  Amazon ;  by  Captain  Lynch,  from  the  Dead 
Sea ;  and  by  C.  F.  Hall,  from  each  of  the  three  expeditions  that  have 
been  narrated  in  this  volume.  It  would  indeed  be  impossible  to 
accredit  here,  with  any  justice,  the  labors  of  the  very  numerous  explo- 
rations which  have  been  made  by  our  own  countrymen  within  the 
progressive  development  of  the  great  West,  in  the  northern  section  of 
the  continent,  outside  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States,  and  in 
the  waters  of  the  oceans  and  their  indentations.  The  catalogues  of 
the  Institution  founded  at  Washington  by  the  noble  liberality  of  the 
London  philanthropist  must  be  consulted ;  in  its  Report  for  1857  will 
be  found  a  list  of  more  than  fifty  of  such  expeditions,  selections  from 
the  specimen  contributions  of  which  formed  a  part  of  the  Exhibition 
in  the  Government  Museum  placed  at  the  United  States  Centennial, 
Philadelphia,  in  1876 ;  but  the  exhibition,  as  well  as  the  list  now 
referred  to,  it  is  well  understood,  was  but  representative  of  the  work 
accomplished  by  Army,  Navy,  and  civil  scientists. 


BABROWS  AND  OSBORN'S  JUDGMENTS.  629 

So  far  from  any  forgetfulness,  on  the  part  of  the  explorers  or  their 
supporters,  of  higher  results  to  be  hoped  for  than  the  extension  of 
geographical  discovery,  valuable  as  this  itself  is,  Arctic  history  incon- 
testably  shows  a  continuous  line  of  expectancy  of  scientific  results  in 
other  branches.  There  has  been  a  general  accord  with  the  sentiments 
of  Sir  John  Barrow,  1818,  that  if  these  voyages  were  to  be  prosecuted 
for  the  sake  only  of  making  the  passage  to  China,  their  utility  might 
fairly  be  questioned.  "  But,"  says  Barrow,  "  when  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge  is  the  groundwork  of  all  the  instructions  under  which  they 
are  sent  forth,  the  commanding  officer  is  directed  to  cause  constant 
observations  to  be  made  for  the  advancement  of  every  branch  of  sci- 
ence —  astronomy,  navigation,  hydrography,  meteorology,  including 
electricity  and  magnetism,  and  to  make  collections  of  subjects  of  nat- 
ural history —  in  short,  to  lose  no  opportunity  of  acquiring  new  and 
important  information  and  discovery  ;  and  when  it  is  considered  that 
these  voyages  give  employment  to  officers  and  men,  in  time  of  jjeuce, 
and  produce  officers  and  men  not  to  be  surpassed,  perhaps  not  equalled, 
in  any  other  branch  of  the  service,  the  question,  Cui  bono?  is  readily 
answered,  in  the  words  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  minister,  'Knowledge  is 
power.' " 

To  this  judgment  of  Barrow,  expressed  at  the  revival  of  Arctic 
Exploration,  may  be  added  that  of  the  late  Admiral  Sherard  Osborn, 
R.N.,  confirming  what  our  own  Henry,  and  Bache,  and  Maury  had  said. 
"Those,"  said  Osborn,  "who  assert  that  our  labors  and  researches 
have  merely  added  so  many  miles  of  unprofitable  coast  line  to  our 
charts,  had  better  compare  our  knowledge  of  Arctic  phenomena  t(>-<lay 
with  the  theories  enunciated  by  men  of  learning  and  repute  a  century 
ago.  They  should  confront  our  knowledge  of  1874  with  that  of  1800 
upon  the  natural  history,  meteorology,  climate,  and  winds  «>f  the 
Arctic  regions.  They  must  remember  it  was  there  we  obtained  the 
clue,  still  unravelled,  to  the  laws  of  those  mysterious  currents  which 
flow  through  the  wastes  of  the  ocean  like  two  mighty  rivers  —  the 
Gulf  Stream  and  the  Ice  Stream  ;  must  remember  that  it  was  there  — 
in  Boothia  —  that  the  two  Rosses  first  reached  the  Magnetic  Pole,  that 
mysterious  point  round  which  revolves  the  mariner's  compass  over  one 


530  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

half  of  the  northern  hemisphere ;  and  let  the  world  say  whether  the 
mass  of  observations  collected  by  our  explorers  on  all  sides  of  that 
Magnetic  Pole  have  added  nothing  to  the  knowledge  of  the  laws  of 
magnetic  declination  and  dip.  They  should  remember  how,  a  few 
years  ago,  it  was  gravely  debated  whether  man  could  exist  through  the 
rigors  and  darkness  of  a  Polar  winter,  and  how  we  only  have  recently 
discovered  that  Providence  has  peopled  that  region  to  the  extreme 
latitude  yet  reached,  and  that  the  animals  on  which  they  subsist  are 
there  likewise,  in  winter  as  well  as  in  summer.  All  this,  and  much 
more,  should  be  borne  in  mind  b}'^  those  cynics  who  would  have  you 
believe  we  have  toiled  in  vain ;  and  I  hold,  with  the  late  Admiral 
Beechey,  'that  every  voyage  to  the  north  has  tended  to  remove  the  veil 
of  obscurity  which  previously  hung  over  the  geography  and  all  the 
phenomena  of  the  Arctic  regions.  Before  those  voyages  all  was  dark- 
ness and  terror,  all  beyond  the  North  Cape  a  blank ;  but,  since  then, 
each  successive  voyage  has  swept  away  some  gloomy  superstition,  has 
brought  to  light  some  new  phenomenon,  and  tended  to  the  advance- 
ment of  human  knowledge.'  " 


METEOROLOGICAL   STATIONS   IN  THE   ICE   ZONES. 

In  the  prosecution  of  just  such  researches  the  meteorological  sta- 
tions established  at  the  instance  of  the  International  Commission  of 
1881  have  been  planted  in  the  Arctic  and  Antarctic  Zones.  And  here 
it  may  be  well  to  invoke  from  all  the  exercise  of  a  clear  and  just  dis- 
crimination between  these  objects  and  that  less  worthy,  and  at  present 
unfavored  object,  the  problem  of  the  Pole ;  or,  more  strictly  speaking, 
between  these  scientific  expeditions,  and  the  voyages  having  for  their 
chief  or  sole  purpose  to  reach  the  90th  degree.  For  no  advocacy  of 
that  purpose  has  the  present  volume  been  attempted.  Its  chief  aim 
has  been  to  make  a  useful  record  of  what  American  enterprise  has 
secured  toward  the  elimination  of  errors  in  the  Polar  problem;  but 
more  especially  for  a  record  of  what  of  scientific  value  has  been 
secured,  and  will  continue  to  be  secured  by  further  Arctic  and 
Antarctic  exploration.      In  this  connection,  the  labors  of  the  meteo' 


STATIONS   ROUND  THE  GLOBE.  681 

rological  observers  in  the  ice  zones  will  obtain  a  special  place  in 
history.  The  first  era  in  this  history  is  at  present  before  lis  in  the 
work  of 

THE  INTERNATIONAL  CONGRESS. 

In  September,  1875,  the  late  Carl  Weyprecht,  one  of  the  com- 
manders of  the  Arctic  Expedition,  in  the  ill-fated  "  Tegethoff,"  anthor 
of  its  Narrative,  and  discoverer  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  first  proposed 
that  the  nations  of  the  world  should  unite  in  one  uniform  system  of 
simultaneous  magnetic  and  meteorological  observations,  at  as  many 
stations  as  possible,  in  both  the  Arctic  and  Antarctic  regions.  The 
results  to  be  secured  in  those  zones  would  be  comparable  with,  and 
utilized  in  connection  with  those  derived  from  observations  in  the 
temperate  zones,  and  would  largely  advance  the  domain  of  the  sciences. 

The  details  of  the  plan,  elaborated  in  1879,  1880,  and  1881,  resulted 
in  the  establishment  of  an  Official  Polar  Commission,  all  the  members 
of  which  were  clothed  with  authority  by  their  respective  governments. 
Under  their  auspices  the  following  stations  were  recommended  to  be 
occupied  by  observers  from  the  respective  countries  named. 


STATIONS  RECOMMENDED  BY  THE  POLAR  COMMISSION. 

By  the  United  States,  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  Grinnell  Land,  N.  lat., 
81°  44',  W.  long.,  64°  30',  and  Ooglaamie,  near  Point  Barrow,  Alaska, 
N.  71°  18'  lat.,  long.  W.  156°  24';  by  Austro-Hungary,  Jan  Mayen,  lat. 
N.  70°  58',  long.  8°  35',  and  Pola  lat.  N.  70°  52',  E.  long.  13'  51';  by 
Denmark,  Godthaab,  lat.  64°  10,  W.  long.  51°  45' ;  by  FinlayuU  Soudan 
Kyla,  lat.  N.  67°  24',  E.  long.  26°  36' ;  by  France,  Cape  Horn,  lat.  S. 
56°  00',  W.  long.  67°  00' ;  by  Germany,  South  Georgia  Island,  S.  lat. 
54°  30',  W.  long.  38°  00',  and  Kingawa,  N.  lat.  67°  30',  W.  long.  67^  30'. 
(Hogarth  Lilet,  Cumberland  Sound)  ;  by  Great  Britain  and  Catiaihi, 
Fort  Rae  or  Fort  Simpson,  on  Great  Slave  Lake,  N.  lat.  62°  30',  W. 
long.  115°  40',  and  Toronto,  where  observations  will  be  made  by  Can- 
ada, N.  lat.  43°  39',  W.  long.  79°  23' ;  by  Holland,  Dickson  Haven,  or 
Port  Dickson,  N.  lat.  73°  30^,  E.  long.  82°  00' ;  by  Italy,  Punta  Arenas, 


682  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  ICE  ZONES. 

Patagonia,  S.  lat.  53°  10',  W.  long.  70°  55' ;  by  Russia,  Nova  Zembla 
(Karmakule  Bay),  N.  lat.  72°  30',  E.  long.  53°  00',  and  Mouth  of  the 
Lena,  N.  lat.  73°  00',  E.  long.  124°  40' ;  by  Sweden,  Spitzbergen,  N.  lat. 
79°  53',  E.  long.  16°  00' ;  by  the  Argentine  Republic,  steps  have  been 
taken  to  establish  a  magnetic  observatory  at  Cordoba,  S.  lat.  31°  30', 
W.,  long.  64°  30'.  A  number  of  "Auxiliary  Stations"  were  also 
proposed. 

In  addition  to  the  two  stations  named  above  for  Russia,  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  that  country  proposed  to  maintain  seven  special 
meteorological  stations  in  Siberia.  The  United  States  Signal  Officer 
reported  in  1882  that  the  following  named  countries  were  co-operating 
with  the  United  States  in  the  work  of  Polar  research:  Germany  at 
Pendulum  Island,  North  Atlantic,  and  South  Georgian  Island,  in  the 
Antarctic  Ocean ;  England  and  Canada,  Russia,  Austria,  France,  Hol- 
land, Finland,  Norway  and  Sweden,  and  Denmark. 

The  Bulletin  of  the  Geographical  Society  of  Paris  (^Premier  Tri- 
mestre,  1883),  reviews  the  proposed  plan  of  work,  and  locates  the 
observers  as  follows :  The  United  States,  at  the  points  before  named ;: 
England,  at  Fort  Rae,  Great  Slave  Lake,  62°  30'  N. ;  Germany,  on 
Cumberland  Gulf,  66"^  30'  N. ;  Denmark,  at  Godhavn,  Greenland,  64° 
10'  N. ;  Austria,  at  Jan  Mayen,  between  Norway  and  Greenland,  70° 
58';  Sweden,  on  Mosoel  Bay,  Spitzbergen,  79°  53'  N. ;  Norwa}^  at 
Bossekop,  the  north  cape  of  Finmark,  69°  56'  N. ;  Holland,  at  Dickson- 
haven,  the  mouth  of  the  Yenesei,  73°  20'  N. ;  Russia,  at  Sokandyla^ 
Finland,  67°  24'  N.,  at  Karmakuli  Bay,  north  coast  of  Nova  Zembla^ 
72°  30',  and  at  Cape  Borchaya,  on  the  east  of  the  Lena  Delta,  73°  N. 
For  these  stations  the  following  moneys  have  been  contributed,  chiefly 
by  national  appropriations :  For  the  two  parties  in  the  United  States, 
$100,000 ;  for  the  English,  -f  33,000 ;  for  the  Danish,  $40,000 ;  for  the 
Austrians,  by  Count  Wibczek  exclusively,  $40,000;  for  the  Swedish, 
$16,000;  for  the  Holland  observations,  $13,000;  for  Norway,  $8,000; 
for  Russia,  $90,000 ;  for  France,  at  Cape  Horn,  $60,000;  for  the  Ger- 
man observations  at  the  Georgian  Islands,  $36,000;  for  observations 
by  Italy  and  the  Argentine  Republic  at  the  South  Shetland  Islands, 
$16,000. 


THIRTEEN  COUNTRIES   COOPERATING.  533 

The  review  of  the  proposed  international  work  in  tlie  Bulletin  of 
the  SoeiSte  de  GSographie  closes  with  these  words :  "  If  we  add  to  all 
these  stations  those  already  existing  in  Russia,  Siberia,  Alaska,  the 
English  Provinces  of  the  North,  etc.,  it  will  be  seen  that  around  the 
whole  Polar  Circle  will  be  a  zone  of  observatories,  whose  observations 
will  form  the  study  of  the  globe  to  the  eightieth  degree  of  north  lati- 
tude ;  while  in  the  southern  hemisphere  England  has  a  meteorological 
observatory  in  the  Falkland  Islands.  .  .  .  The  larger  number  of  the 
civilized  nations  are  striving  by  scientific  means  to  wrest  the  myste- 
rious secrets  of  the  deep  from  their  hidden  recesses  of  the  North." 

At  the  date  of  the  issue,  by  the  United  States  Signal  Service,  Wash- 
ington, of  the  "  Memoranda "  from  which  some  of  these  notes  of  the 
stations  are  cited,  it  is  stated  by  General  Hazen,  that  since  the  organi- 
zation of  the  International  Commission,  other  nations  have  enlisted  in 
the  work,  the  observing  parties  have  all  been  dispatched  to  their 
respective  destinations,  and  they  now  are  actually  engaged  in  the  con- 
templated observations.  The  stations  will  be  occupied  for  at  least  one, 
and,  in  some  cases,  for  three  years,  and  may  be  divided  into  two  classes, 
namely:  (1.)  The  special  polar  stations  within  thirty  degrees  of  the 
north  or  south  pole ;  and,  (2.)  The  auxiliary  stations,  which  are  spread 
over  the  rest  of  the  habitable  globe.  Besides  these  land  stations, 
observations  made  on  shipboard  are  extensively  called  for,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  enough  observations  will  be  accumulated  to  allow  the  mak- 
ing of  a  complete  map  of  the  weather,  and  of  the  magnetic  disturb- 
ances throughout  the  whole  globe,  for  any  moment  of  time  during  the 
period  in  question.  In  addition  to  the  main  work  of  these  interna- 
tional stations,  all  possible  attention  will  be  given  to  numerous  collat- 
eral subjects.  Thirteen  nations  have  thus  far  entered  heartily  into  the 
project ;  fifteen  polar  stations,  and  over  forty  auxiliary  stations  have 
been  established. 

A  distinction  was  made  between  the  observations  considered  obliija- 
tory  and  those  regarded  as  desirable.  Those  considered  obligatory  in 
the  aid  of  meteorology  are,  observations  on  the  temperature  of  the  air 
and  of  the  sea,  barometric  pressure,  humidity,  winds,  clouds,  rainfalls. 
and  the  weather  and  optical  phenomena ;  those  for  magnetism  are  for 


534  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

absolute   declination,   inclination,  and   horizontal   intensity ;   and  for 
variations  of  the  same.       " 

In  the  Official  Report  of  the  Chief  of  the  U.  S.  Signal  Service  for 
the  year  1881,  he  had  said  that  "  Owing  to  the  very  mobile  nature  of 
the  atmosphere,  the  changes  taking  place  on  our  portion  of  the  globe, 
especially  in  the  Arctic  Zone,  quickly  affect  regions  very  distant  there- 
from. The  study  of  the  weather  in  Europe  and  America  cannot  be 
successfully  prosecuted  without  a  daily  map  of  the  whole  northern 
hemisphere,  and  the  great  blank  space  of  the  Arctic  region  upon  our 
simultaneous  international  chart  has  long  been  a  subject  of  regret  to 
meteorologists.  .  .  .  The  general  object  is  to  accomplish  by  observations 
made  in  concert  at  numerous  stations  such  additions  to  our  knowledge 
as  cannot  be  acquired  by  isolated  or  desultory  travelling  parties.  No 
special  attempt  will  be  made  at  geographical  exploration,  and  neither 
expedition  is  in  any  sense  an  attempt  to  reach  the  North  Pole.  The 
single  object  is  to  elucidate  the  phenomena  of  the  weather  and  the 
magnetic  needle,  as  they  occur  in  America  and  Europe,  by  means  of 
observations  taken  in  the  region  where  the  most  remarkable  disturbances 
seem  to  have  their  origin." 

In  the  expression  of  these  sentiments  and  in  the  carrying  out,  as 
General  Hazen  said,  the.  promises  of  his  predecessor,  the  late  General 
Meyer,  by  co-operating  with  the  International  Committee,  he  was  also 
furthering  the  objects  in  view  by  the  late  Professor  Henry,  as  expressed 
in  his  letter  to  Hon.  B.  A.  Willis,  dated  Jan.  31,  1877,  in  which  he 
wrote  :  "  I  am  predisposed  to  advocate  any  rational  plan  for  explora- 
tion and  observation  within  the  Arctic  Circle.  Much  labor  has  been 
expended  on  this  subject,  especially  with  a  view  to  reach  the  Pole ;  yet 
many  problems  connected  with  physical  geography  and  science  in  gen- 
eral remain  unsolved. 

"  I.  With  regard  to  a  better  determination  of  the  figure  of  the  earth,  pendulum  ex- 
periments are  required  in  the  region  in  question. 

"  II.  The  magnetism  of  the  earth  requires,  for  its  better  elucidation,  a  larger  num- 
ber and  more  continued  observations  than  have  yet  been  made. 

"  III.  To  complete  our  kno.wledge  of  the  tides  of  the  ocean,  a  series  of  observations 
should  be  made,  at  least  for  a  year. 

"  IV.  For  completing  our  knowledge  of  the  v(rinds  of  the  globe,  the  results  of  a 


THE  PRELIMINAKY   EXPEDITION.  535 

larger  series  of  observations  than  those  we  now  possess  are  necessaiy,  and  also  addi- 
tional observations  on  temperatui'e. 

"  V.  The  whole  field  of  natural  history  could  be  enriched  by  collections  in  the  line 
of  botany,  mineralogy,  geology,  etc.,  and  facts  of  interest  obtained  with  re<mrd  to  the 
influence  of  extreme  cold  on  animal  and  vegetable  life. 

"  All  of  the  branches  of  science  above  mentioned  are  indirectly  con- 
nected with  the  well-being  of  man,  and  tend  not  only  to  enlarge  his 
sphere  of  mental  pleasures  but  to  promote  the  application  of  science  to 
the  arts  of  life.  As  to  the  special  plan  of  establishing  a  colony  of 
explorers  and  observers,  to  be  continued  for  several  years,  I  think 
favorably." 

The  plan  referred  to  by  Professor  Henry  was  the  one  embraced  in  a 
Memorial  which  had  been  submitted  to  Congress  by  H.  W.  Howgate, 
then  on  duty  at  the  U.  S.  Signal  Service  Office.  The  efforts  for  this 
preliminary/  Polar  Expedition  had  resulted  in  the  dispatch  to  Cumber- 
land Sound,  by  the  aid  of  private  subscription  only,  of 


THE   SCHOONER   "FLORENCE"   IN   1877. 

The  "  Florence  "  was  a  fore  and  aft  vessel  of  fifty-six  tons,  built  in 
Wells,  Maine,  in  1851,  for  mackerel  fishing ;  afterwards  used  by  Wil- 
liams &  Haven,  Hall's  benefactors,  as  a  sealer  in  the  Southern  seas. 
Although  a  staunch  and  fair  sea-boat,  she  was  too  small  for  the  purpose, 
and  sailed  at  least  two  months  later  than  was  desirable,  leaving  New 
London  August  3,  1877.  Her  three  professed  objects  were,  to  collect 
material,  dogs,  and  sledges ;  secure  the  help  of  the  Eskimos  for  a  second 
steamer  which  it  was  proposed  should  follow :  accomplish  sume  scien- 
tific work,  and  repay  the  outlay  by  whaling. 

The  "  Florence,"  under  the  command  of  Captain  George  E.  Tysttn, 
the  leader  of  the  floe  party  from  the  "  Polaris,"  first  anchored  in  Ni-an- 
ti-lic  harbor,  on  the  western  shore  of  Cumberland  Sound,  and  after 
securing  there  a  number  of  Eskimos  and  materials,  anchored,  October 
7,  in  An-naw-nac-took,  in  about  lat.  67°  N.,  long.  6^^  40'  W.  A  small 
observatory  and  working-place  was  erected  under  shelter  for  meteoro- 
logical and  other  observations,  and  as  soon  as  the  snow  became  compact 


536  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

a  snow-house  built  over  this  tent,  which  remained  as  a  lining.  Scientific 
work  was  begun  at  once  in  the  interests  of  meteorology  and  the  collec- 
tion of  specimens  in  natural  history.  The  co-laborers  were  Mr.  Ludwig 
Kiimlien  and  Mr.  O.  T.  Sherman,  who  report  that  from  their  peculiar 
surroundings  and  isolation  they  "  lost  much  of  their  wonted  enthusiasm 
during  the  long  dreary  winter,  and  found  rest  only  in  continued  work. 
Their  disappointments  were  increased  by  the  stormy  and  backward 
spring  of  1878,  the  treacherous  condition  of  the  ice,  and  the  de- 
parture of  the  '  Florence '  from  the  harbor  as  early  as  the  13th  of 
July.  In  her  hasty  leaving,  valuable  preparations  were  of  necessity 
abandoned." 

The  collection  of  material  for  a  future  Arctic  colony  had  been  suc- 
cessful. Sixteen  Eskimos,  among  them  "  a  nephew  of  Joe,  of  '  Polaris ' 
fame,"  twenty-eight  dogs,  and  enough  of  Arctic  clothing,  etc.,  were  on 
deck  and  in  the  hold. 

But  on  the  return  of  the  "  Florence  "  to  Godhavn,  July  31,  no  Ex- 
pedition steamer  was  to  be  seen,  nor  a  word  of  news  of  such,  or  of  let- 
ters from  home ;  after  three  weeks  of  waiting,  therefore,  profitably  again 
employed  in  scientific  labors,  the  "  Florence  "  returned  to  Cumberland 
Sound,  and  re-landed  the  Eskimos  and  their  effects.  September  12  she 
headed  for  home,  reaching  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  on  the  26th,  from 
which  port,  after  encountering  a  storm  of  unusual  fury.  Captain  Tyson's 
skill'brought  her  safely  into  Boston,  October  30,  1877. 

The  value  of  this  Expedition  will  thus  readily  appear  to  consist  in 
the  labors  of  the  scientific  officers  who  have  been  named.  The  "  Bulle- 
tins of  the  United  States  National  Museum  "  furnish  the  catalogues  of 
the  specimens  in  natural  history,  now  on  deposit  in  that  Institution. 
Bulletin  No.  15  (Department  of  the  Interior)  is  prefaced  by  a  brief  In- 
troduction from  Mr.  Kiimlien,  from  which,  and  from  "  The  Cruise  of 
the  '  Florence '  by  Howgate,"  the  preceding  notes  have  been  drawn,  and 
by  a  very  interesting  Ethnological  Report. 

Professional  Paper  No.  XI.  of  the  Signal  Service,  is  a  quarto  Report 
by  Mr.  O.  T.  Sherman,  the  meteorologist  of  the  Expedition.  Following 
a  brief  introductory  note  of  the  cruise,  Mr.  Sherman  in  this  volume 
gives  us  the  meteorological  and  physical  observations  made  at  "Ananito," 


PKOPOSED    PERMANENT    STATIONS.  537 

"American,"  and  "Niantilic"  harbors  on  Cumberland  Gulf:  the  first 
trustworthy  observations  on  those  shores,  which  had  long  needed  a 
careful  survey  and  tidal  observations  for  the  benefit  of  the  frequent 
visits  of  whalers  there. 

THE  UNITED  STATES   SIGNAL   SERVICE  STATION   AT   LADY  FRANK- 
LIN  BAY. 

Under  the  painful  anxieties  which  to-day  invest  one  of  the  United 
States  Signal  Service  Stations,  and  in  connection  with  the  return  of  the 
party  which  had  located  at  the  other  station,  Point  Barrow,  notes  of 
their  history  are  instructive. 

The  colony  at  Fort  Conger,  in  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  lat.  81°  44'  N., 
long.  64°  30'  W.,  was  established  under  a  Special  Act  of  Congress, 
appropriating  the  sum  of  $25,000  for  this  purpose.  By  direction  of  the 
Secretary  of  War,  First  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely,  U.  S.  A.,  in  June, 
1881,  was  charged  with  the  duty  of  establishing  a  permanent  station  at 
the  most  suitable  point  north  of  the  eighty-first  parallel,  and  contiguous 
to  the  coal  seam  discovered  near  Lady  Franklin  Bay  by  the  English 
Expedition  of  1875.  The  coal  vein  was  expected  to  afford  sufficient 
fuel. 

It  was  the  intention  of  Congress  that  this  station  should  be  main- 
tained for  three  years  at  least,  for  according  to  the  Report  of  Hon.  Mr. 
Whitthorne  from  the  Committee  of  Naval  Affairs,  House  of  Represent- 
atives, recommending  the  appropriation,  an  annual  visit  should  be  made 
to  the  Station  to  carry  fresh  food  and  supplies,  and,  if  necessary,  to 
bring  back  invalid  members  of  the  Expedition  and  carry  out  fresh 
observers  to  take  their  places. 

The  party  under  Lieutenant  Greely  consists  of  Lieutenants  F.  F. 
Kislingbury  and  James  B.  Lock  wood,  and  Dr.  O.  Paw,  Acting-Assist- 
ant Surgeon  and  Naturalist,  with  a  force  of  sergeants,  c(»rp(»rals,  and 
privates  of  the  United  States  Army,  numbering  eighteen.  The  Lieu- 
tenant received  his  instructions  from  the  Chief  Signal  (^fiiecr.  who  em- 
bodied in  them  specific  directions  for  the  different  branches  of  the  work 
to  be  accomplished,  supplemented  by  special  instructions  from  "  The 
Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey,"  with  a  translation  of  those  adopted  by  the 


538  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

'International  Polar  Conference  of  1879,  and  a  copy  of  those  furnished 
by  the  National  Academy  of  Sciences  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for 
the  North  Polar  Expedition  of  1871  under  Captain  C.  F.  Hall. 

The  directions  for  the  outward  voyage,  and  the  general  work  of  the 
party  after  reaching  their  station,  required  that  after  leaving  St.  Johns, 
Newfoundland,  "  except  to  obtain  Eskimo  hunters,  dogs,  clothing,  etc., 
at  Disco  or  Upernavik,  only  such  stops  will  be  made  as  the  condition 
of  the  ice  necessitates,  or  as  are  essential  in  order  to  determine  the 
exact  location  and  condition  of  the  stores  cached  on-  the  east  coast  of 
Grinnell  Land  by  the  English  Expedition  of  1875.  During  any  en- 
forced delays  along  the  coast  it  would  be  well  to  supplement  the  Eng- 
lish depots  by  such  small  caches  from  the  steamer's  stores  of  provisions 
as  would  be  valuable  to  a  party  retreating  southward  by  boats  from 
Robeson's  Channel.  At  each  point  where  an  old  depot  is  examined,  or 
a  new  one  established,  three  brief  notices  will  be  left  of  the  visit  —  one 
to  be  deposited  in  the  cairn  built  or  found  standing,  one  to  be  placed 
on  the  north  side  of  it,  and  one  to  be  buried  twenty  feet  north  (mag- 
netic) of  the  cairn.  Notices  discovered  in  cairns  will  be  brought  away, 
replacing  them,  however,  by  copies." 

The  steamer  "  Proteus,"  on  her  arrival  at  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  was  to 
discharge  her  cargo  with  the  utmost  dispatch,  and  return  to  St.  Johns, 
bringing  a  report  of  the  proceedings  and  observations  made  during  the 
voyage,  while  the  party  which  landed,  after  erecting  a  dwelling-house 
and  observatories,  were  to  make,  in  accordance  with  the  proposals  made 
to  the  Navy  Department,  sledging  expeditions  for  geographical  surveys 
to  the  high  land  north  of  Cape  Joseph  Henry ;  their  chief  work,  how- 
ever, was  to  be  that  of  the  scientific  observations  which  have  been 
named. 

GREELY's   VOYAGE  TO   LADY  FRANKLIN  BAY. 

[From  an  Unpublished  Letter  loaned  by  the  United  States  Signal  Service.] 

Leaving  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  July  7,  Lieutenant  Greely  reached 

Godhavn  on  the  16th,  the  voyage  being  made  in  face  of  continuously 

adverse  winds,  two  strong  northerly  gales  and  constant  cloudy  and  foggy 

weather.    The  ship  behaved  admirably.    The  only  ice  seen  south  of  Cape 


FAVORABLE   INDICATIONS.  589 

Farewell  was  a  few  icebergs  off  Funk  Island,  and  about  forty  in  52°  N. 
and  53°  15'  W.  Pack-ice  was  fallen  in  with  at  10.30  p.  m.  July  12,  in  lat. 
61°  30'  N.,  53°  30'  W.,  and  a  second  pack  encountered  the  same  day,  at 
2.30  P.M.,  in  62°  30'  N.,  52°  15'  W.,  was  passed  through  in  an  liour; 
neither  offered  any  obstructions  to  free  passage  or  caused  the  slightest 
delay.  They  both  consisted  of  ice-floes  varying  from  one  to  eiglit  feet 
above  the  water.  Coming  from  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  they  had 
drifted  with  the  southerly  current  from  Cape  Farewell  into  Davis 
Strait. 

From  Herr  Krarup  Smith,  Inspector  of  North  Greenland,  it  was  learned 
that  the  past  winter  in  Greenland,  except  a  brief  period  of  cold  in 
March,  had  been  one  of  marked  and  unusual  mildness,  and  that  the  ice 
north  of  Upernavik  had  broken  up  very  early.  July  20,  Dr.  Octave 
Pavy  joined  the  Expedition  as  Acting  Assistant  Surgeon.  Twelve 
dogs,  a  large  quantity  of  dog  food,  and  some  sealskins  were  procured, 
with  a  considerable  quantity  of  '•^mattak,''  skin  of  the  white  whale,  a 
very  valuable  anti-scorbutic  ;  and  a  few  articles  of  fur  t-lothing  obtained 
by  barter,  as  they  cr^-'ld  not  be  bought  for  money.  Hard  bread  and 
tobacco  were  principally  given  in  exchange. 

The  remains  of  the  house  purchased  by  the  "  Florence  "  in  1880  were 
taken  on  board,  as  well  as  thirty  thousand  pounds  of  bufftUo  pemmican 
stored  by  the  same  Expedition.  A  good  set  of  observations  for  time 
were  made  July  19-20,  at  the  only  hours  during  which  the  sun  shone. 

Leaving  Godhavn  the  morning  of  the  21st,  the  vessel  reached  Rit- 
tenbenk  the  same  forenoon.  At  that  2)oint  were  j)urchased  a  number 
of  sealskins,  a  large  quantity  of  dog  food,  and  other  minor  articles, 
which  had  been  accumulated  for  the  Expedition  through  the  energy  of 
Dr.  Pavy.  Being  delayed  by  the  fog  Lieutenant  Lockwood  was  sent 
with  a  party  to  obtain  birds  from  Awe-Prins  Island.  lie  returned  that 
evening  with  sixty-five  guillemots  (Alcaawa  or  Alca  Bruennichi).  It 
was  said  at  Rittenbenk  that  the  spring  had  been  the  most  forward  one 
for  years.    " 

From  Rittenbenk,  running  through  the  Waigat,  the  st^'amer  was  off 
Upernavik  9  P.  M.  July  23,  but  owing  to  the  fog  could  not  enter  the  harlM)r 
until  next  morning.     Two  Eskimos  who  were  exi)ected  to  accompany 


540  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

the  Expedition  were  not  available,  and  in  consequence  a  trip  to  Proven^ 
about  fifty  miles  distant,  was  necessary  to  obtain  others.  Skin  clothing- 
could  not  be  obtained,  except  ten  suits,  which  having  been  made  by 
order  of  the  Danish  Government  for  the  use  of  the  International  Polar 
Station  of  Upernavik  of  1882-83,  were  now  sold  through  the  kind- 
ness of  Inspector  Smith. 

On  the  morning  of  July  25  Lieutenant  Lockwood  left  in  the  steam- 
launch  "  Lady  Greely  "  for  Proven,  taking  a  circuitous  route  inside  the 
islands,  rendered  necessary  by  bad  weather.  He  returned  early  on  the 
28th,  bringing  for  service  with  the  Expedition  a  native,  Jans  Edward, 
and  a  half-breed,  Frederick  Shorley  Christiansen ;  he  also  procured  about 
a  dozen  suits  of  skin  clothing,  which,  though  second-hand,  were  very  ser- 
viceable. He  had  killed  one  hundred  and  twenty  guillemots  during  his 
voyage.  The  launch  behaved  admirably,  both  as  a  sea-boat  and  under 
steam. 

Lieutenant  Kislingbury,  under  orders,  made  two  visits,  July  24  and 
25,  to  the  "  Loomery  "  near  Sanderson's  Hope,  bringing  back  the  first 
day  three  hundred  fine  birds,  and  on  the  latter  one  hundred  and  fifteen, 
all  guillemots  (Alca  Awa),  and  ten  dogs,  five  of  whom  died  of  dog  dis- 
ease, and  must  have  been  sick  when  sold.  Additional  dog  food,  sledge 
fittings,  dog  harness,  and  sealskins  were  also  bought.  It  was  through 
the  marked  interest  and  kindly  influence  of  Inspector  Smith  that  the 
Expedition  secured  the  services  of  the  natives  and  obtained  so  fair  a 
stock  of  needed  articles. 

The  Meteorological  Records  of  the  past  winter  showed  it  to  have  been 
very  mild,  and  the  spring  very  early.  Inspector  Smith  remarked  that 
in  fourteen  years  Upernavik  had  never  been  so  green.  Reports  from 
Tessi-ussak  were  to  the  effect  that  the  ice,  breaking  up  very  early,  was 
all  gone.  On  the  afternoon  of  July  29  the  anchorage  of  Upernavik  was 
left,  and  at  7  P.  M.,  having  run  out  the  southern  way,  the  vessel  was  dis- 
tant three  miles,  just  off  the  island  to  the  west.  Running  northward  a 
few  hours,  the  Middle  Passage  was  taken,  and  at  7  A.  m.  July  31,  the 
engines  were  stopped,  as  the  dead  reckoning  placed  the  vessel  only  six 
miles  south  of  Cape  York  ;  a  dense  fog  prevented  the  land  from  being 
seen,  but  an  hour  later,  the  fog  lifting  a  few  minutes,  showed  land  about 


LITTLETON   ISLAND.  541 

five  miles  distant.  This  experience  of  the  "  Middle  Passage  "  may  be 
fairly  said  to  have  been  without  parallel  or  precedent.  The  run  of  the 
English  Expedition  of  1875-76  from  Upernavik  to  seventy-five  ivAlea 
south  of  Cape  York  in  seventy  hours  was  said  to  have  been  unprece- 
dented ;  this  passage  by  the  same  route,  and  to  within  five  miles  of 
Cape  York,  was  made  in  thirty-six  hours,  half  the  time  taken  by  the 
Expedition  under  Sir  George  Nares  to  run  a  less  distance. 

Nothing  in  the  shape  of  a  pack  was  encountered  in  Baffin's  Bay ;  but 
in  about  75°  08'  N.,  63°  40'  W.,  a  pack  was  seen  to  the  westward ; 
whether  open  or  compact  was  uncertain.  At  8.15  A.  M.  July  31,  the  fog 
lifting,  disclosed  Petowik  glacier  near,  to  the  north  of  which,  in  small 
patches  of  dirty  reddish  color,  was  seen  the  red  snow  among  the  "•  crim- 
son cliffs  "  of  Sir  John  Ross.  Sighting  the  Carey  islands  at  3.10  p.  M., 
two  parties  were  landed  on  the  southeast  at  5.45  p.m.  The  party  under 
Dr.  Pavy  obtained  from  the  cairn  on  the  summit  the  record  left  by 
Captain  Allen  Young  in  1875  and  1876,  and  with  Lieutenants  Greely 
and  Lockwood  found  and  examined  the  whaleboat  and  depot  of  pro- 
visions left  by  Sir  George  Nares  in  1875 ;  they  were  in  good  and  ser- 
viceable condition. 

August  2  Littleton  Island  was  reached.  Here  a  personal  and  ex- 
haustive search  of  seven  hours  was  necessary  to  find  the  Englisli  mails, 
which,  in  four  boxes  and  three  kegs,  have  been  forwarded  in  order  that 
they  may  be  returned  to  England.  There  was  a  very  small  cairn  near 
the  mails,  but  with  no  record.  A  record  enclosure  was  left  here,  and 
Lieutenant  Lockwood  with  a  party  landed  about  six  and  a  half  tons  of 
coal,  as  a  depot  of  fuel  for  possible  future  use.  It  is  in  and  around  a 
large  cask,  on  low  ground,  on  the  southeast  side  of  the  island,  facing 
Cape  Alexander.  Lieutenant  Kislingbury  and  Dr.  Pavy  visited  Life- 
boat Cave  to  communicate  with  the  Etah  Eskimos  and  see  the  '•  Polaris  *' 
winter  quarters.  Several  photographs  of  the  surroundings  were  taken 
by  Sergeant  Rice,  and  a  number  of  relics  were  brought  ofT,  which  will 
be  forwarded.  The  Transit  instrument  of  the  "  Polaris  "  (not  seen  by 
the  English  Expedition  of  1875)  was  found  about  twenty  feet  from  the 
cairn.  The  Etah  Eskimos  have  evidently  quitted  the  place,  as  all  traces 
were  old,  a  year  certainly,  and  probably  two  or  three  vears. 


642  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

In  searching  on  Littleton  Island  for  the  Nares  cairn  about  fifty  small 
cairns  (many  evidently  for  game)  were  found,  in  two  of  which  were 
records  from  the  steamship  "  Erik,"  Captain  Walker,  June  20, 1876.  A 
cairn  carefully  built,  and  with  an  aperture  at  the  base,  probably  that  of 
Sir  George  Nares,  was  found  open  and  empty.  A  record  was  made  by 
Lieutenant  Lockwood  for  deposit,  but  a  message  sent  him  when  the 
English  mail  was  found  caused  him  to  withdraw  it,  or  he  was  erroneously 
informed  that  the  cairn  sought  for  had  been  discovered.  It  probably 
has  been  plundered,  as  a  piece  of  a  London  newspaper,  "  The  Standard," 
was  found  in  the  snow  on  the  west  side  of  the  island.  It  contains  a 
notice  of  a  lecture  by  Sir  George  Nares  in  1875. 

Some  repairs  to  the  wheel  of  the  ship  caused  several  hours'  delay ; 
but  Littleton  Island  was  left  at  10.45  p.  m.  The  weather  being  very 
fair,  and  no  ice  visible,  the  captain  was  directed  to  run  direct  for  Cape 
Hawks.  August  3,  Cape  Sabine  was  passed  at  1.50  a.m.  and  Cape 
Camperdown  at  4.10  A.  m.  At  8.30  A.  m.  the  "  Proteus  "  was  off  Cape 
Hawks,  and  at  9.10  a.m.  lay  to  about  two  miles  north  of  it,  between 
the  main  land  and  Washington  Irving  Island.  Lieutenants  Greely  and 
Kislingbury  proceeded  to  the  main  shore,  and  examined  the  English 
depot  of  1875.  The  jollyboat  was  found  in  good  condition,  and,  being 
short  of  boats,  was  taken.  Several  photographs  of  the  surroundings 
were  taken  by  Sergeant  Rice.  Washington  Land  was  first  sighted  at 
3.55  p.  M.  through  openings  in  the  fog  which  commenced  setting  in. 
About  5  P.  M.  the  80th  parallel  was  crossed,  and  at  5.30  the  ship  was 
abreast  off  Cape  Collinson,  where  two  hundred  and  forty  rations  are 
cached,  but  which  were  not  visited,  through  fear  that  denser  fogs 
would  set  in  and  seriously  delay  the  northward  passage.  At  10  P.  m., 
after  running  slowly  through  a  dense  fog,  it  was  necessary  to  stop  until 
the  next  day  (August  4),  when  the  fog  cleared  at  11.15  a.m.  Franklin 
Sound  was  sighted  about  eight  miles  northeast  (true)  ;  it  was  passed  at 
11.45  a.m.  At  2  P.M.  the  ship  stopped  in  the  northeast  end  of  Carl 
Ritter  Bay,  where  about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  bread  and  meat 
rations  were  landed  by  a  party,  for  use  in  case  of  a  retreat  south  in  1883. 
The  depot  was  made  on  the  first  bench  from  the  sea,  just  north  of  a 
little  creek  in  the  extreme  northeast  part  of  the  bay. 


THE   "PROTEUS"   IN   THE   PACK.  548 

About  7.45  p.  M.,  off  Cape  Lieber,  a  heavy  pack  against  tljc  land 
was  passed  by  a  detour  to  the  eastward,  and  at  9  r.  m,  August  4,  the 
vessel  was  stopped  for  the  first  time  by  ice,  in  the  extreme  southeast 
part  of  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  only  eight  miles  from  destination.  Tlie 
pack  was  a  very  heavy  one,  and  running  from  Cape  Baird  northward 
in  a  semicircle,  reached  the  Greenland  coast,  where  it  touched  the  hind 
just  south  of  Offley  Island,  near  the  mouth  of  Peterman's  Fiord.  It 
consisted  of  thick  Polar  ice,  ranging  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  in  thick- 
ness, cemented  together  by  harbor  ice  from  two  to  five  feet  thick.  It 
was  impossible  to  do  aught  but  wait.  The  vessel  was  tied  to  the  pack 
off  Cape  Baird,  and  awaited  a  gale. 

August  5,  Greely  went  ashore  at  Cape  Lieber,  with  Lieutenant 
Lockwood,  Doctor  Pavy  and  a  party,  to  examine  the  ice  from  the  cliffs. 
Lieutenant  Lockwood  erected  a  cairn  on  the  highest  peak.  No  other 
cairn  could  be  seen  on  it  or  from  it,  nor  on  other  peaks  visited  by 
Greely  and  Doctor  Pavy.  Occasional  lanes  of  water  could  be  seen 
through  the  rifts  of  the  fog-cloud  which  covered  Hall-basin ;  but  the 
main  pack  was  firm  and  unchanged.  August  6,  the  pack  moving 
slightly,  obliged  the  vessel  to  change  her  mooring-place  from  time  to 
time ;  it  drove  the  ship  out  of  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  and  during  two 
days  she  was  gradually  driven  south  ;  probably  twenty-five  miles  of  ice 
in  huge  fields  passed  south waid.  Every  opportunity  was  improved  to 
steam  around  such  fields,  to  keep  head  against  the  southerly  current ; 
but  by  the  evening  of  August  8  the  steady  north  wind  had  fonod  the 
whole  pack  down,  while  the  fields  previously  driven  southward,  paikrd 
fast  together,  formed  a  huge,  compact  barrier,  stretching  from  Carl 
Ritter  Bay  across  to  Hans  Island.  Only  a  mile  or  so  of  ojk'u  water 
remained.  A  nip  appeared  most  probal)k',  and  j)reparati(»ns  wt-re 
hastily  made  to  unship  screw  and  rudder.  During  the  night  matters 
improved  somewhat;  but  again,  during  the  9th  and  10th,  the  ship  wius 
forced  slowly  southwards  to  within  about  five  miles  of  Ilans  I.sland.s 
having  lost  about  forty-five  miles  of  latitude. 


544  iVftlERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE  ZONES. 

RELEASE   OF   THE    "PROTEUS." 

About  noon  of  the  10th  the  long-desired  southwest  gale  set  in, 
accompanied  by  snow,  starting  the  pack  northward.  The  snow  cleared 
the  next  morning,  but  the  gale  fortunately  continued,  and  open  water 
was  visible  on  the  west  coast  as  far  northward  as  could  be  seen. 
At  7.30  A.  M.  the  ship  rapidly  ran  northward,  and  about  1  P.  m.  again 
passed  Cape  Lieber,  and  at  2.40  p.  m.  had  crossed  Lady  Franklin  Bay. 
Either  ice-foot  or  pack-ice  jammed  against  the  shore,  covered  Water- 
course Bay,  but  a  narrow  lane  permitted  the  vessel  to  enter  Discovery 
Harbor  just  inside  Dutch  Island,  where  harbor  ice  about  eighteen 
inches  thick  was  found,  covering  the  whole  harbor  as  well  as  the  western 
half  of  Lady  Franklin  Bay.  The  vessel  forced  her  way  about  one 
fourth  of  a  mile  through  ice  of  the  character  named  above,  and  there 
stopped,  pending  a  decision  as  to  the  locality  of  the  station.  Lieuten- 
ant Lockwood,  sent  to  examine  the  bay,  reported  the  place  an  excellent 
one  for  camp,  the  bay  partly  clear,  but  shallow.  He  thought  it  prob- 
able the  vessel  could  come  within  about  two  hundred  yards  of  the 
shore  ;  the  bay,  however,  was  of  such  shape  that  while  discharging,  the 
vessel  would  be  unprotected  against  ice,  as  it  is  exposed  to  all  winds 
from  northeast  to  south-southwest.  The  coal  was  so  located  that  it 
could  be  readily  mined  after  ice  formed,  and  could,  if  required,  be 
hauled  without  diifipulty  to  Watercourse  Bay  or  to  Discovery  Harbor. 
Lieutenant  Greely  reluctantly  decided  to  settle  at  Discovery  winter 
quarters ;  and  it  was  a  fortunate  decision,  for  Watercourse  Bay  was 
full  of  pack-ice. 

On  the  12th  the  vessel  broke  her  way  through  two  miles  of  heavy 
ice,  and  anchored  off  the  cairn  about  one  hundred  yards  from  shore ; 
the  men  were  divided  into  two  gangs,  to  work  day  and  night  by  four- 
hour  reliefs,  until  the  general  cargo  was  discharged,  which  was  done  in 
sixty  hours.  Coal  was  landed,  of  which  there  was  about  one  hundred 
and  forty  tons,  enough  to  last  two  winters  without  mining  any.  Work 
on  the  house  progressed  rapidly,  though  but  three  or  four  men  could 
be  spared  for  the  work.  The  foundation  was  finished,  floor  stringers 
laid,  and  about  one  eighth  of  the  frame  set  up.     Fourteen  musk  oxen 


GEEELY'S   SUPPLIES   AND  CACHES.  545 

were  immediately  killed,  and  enough  meat  procured  for  issue,  three 
times  a  week,  for  the  foUowin^^  seven  months,  besides  ten  days'  rations 
of  dried  birds.  "  The  post  has  been  named  Fort  Conger,  in  honor  of 
Senator  Conger  of  Michigan.  Photographic  views  have  been,  and  will 
be,  taken  once  each  day.  From  these  one  can  best  judge  of  the 
progress  and  condition  of  affairs." 

It  is  proper  to  state,  says  Lieutenant  Greely,  that  a  retreat  from 
here  southward  to  Cape  Sabine,  in  case  no  vessel  reaches  here  in 
1882-83,  ivill  be  safe  and  practicable  ;  although  all  but  the  most  impor- 
tant records  will  necessarily  have  to  be  abandoned ;  abstracts  could 
and  will  be  made  of  those  left. 

In  the  Reports  of  the  Signal  Officer  for  1881-82,  it  is  stated  that, 
"  The  station  has  supplies  for  two  years ;  that  it  was  contemplated  to 
be  visited  in  1882  and  1883  by  a  seal  steamer  or  other  vessel,  bearing 
such  supplies  and  additions  to  the  party  as  might  be  deemed  needful ; 
and  that  in  case  such  vessel  is  unable  to  reach  Lady  Franklin  Bay  in 
1882,  she  will  cache  a  portion  of  her  supplies  and  all  of  her  letters  and 
dispatches  at  the  most  northerly  point  she  attains  on  the  east  coast  of 
Grinnell  Land^  and  establish  a  small  depot  of  supplies  at  Littleton 
Island.  Notices  of  the  locality  of  such  depots  will  be  left  at  one  or 
all  of  the  following  places,  viz. :  Cape  Hawks,  Cape  Sabine,  and  Cape 
Isabella.  In  case  no  vessel  reaches  the  permanent  station  in  1882,  the 
vessel  sent  in  1883  will  remain  in  Smith's  Sound  until  there  is  danger 
of  its  closing  by  ice,  and,  on  leaving  will  land  all  her  supplies  and  a 
party  at  Littleton  Island.,  which  party  will  be  prepared  for  a  winter's 
stay,  and  will  be  instructed  to  send  sledge  parties  up  the  east  side  of 
Q-rinnell  Land  to  meet  this  party.  If  not  visited  in  1882,  Lieutenant 
Greely  will  abandon  his  station  not  later  than  September  1,  1883,  and 
will  retreat  southward  by  boat,  following  closely  the  eaxt  rn,j»t  of 
Grinnell  Land,  until  the  relieving  vessel  is  met  or  Littleton  Island  is 
reached." 

THE   ATTE>rPTED   RELIEFS    OF    1882   AND    1883. 

"  During  the  first  session  of  the  Forty-seventh  Congress  an  Act  was 
passed  June  27,  1882,  appropriating  $33,000  for  the  supply  and  relief 


646  A]V1ERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

of  Lieutenant  Greely's  party ;  and  under  this  appropriation  Mr.  Wil- 
liam M.  Beebe  was  sent  out  with  men  and  supplies  on  board  the 
*  Neptune,'  on  the  8th  of  July  following.  His  Report  to  the  Signal 
Officer,  dated  St.  Johns,  N.  F.,  September  28,  tells  the  brief  story  of 
the  failure  of  this  vessel  to  reach  the  station. 

"  The  '  Neptune '  met  the  first  field  ice  July  13,  lat.  60°  N.,  long. 
54°  W.  Mr.  Beebe  says  that  these  fields,  though  not  large,  were  very 
heavy  and  solid,  and  this  was  undoubtedly  the  heavy  winter  ice,  borne 
from  the  eastern  coast  of  Greenland  by  the  strong  current  which  sets 
southward  from  about  Iceland,  turns  to  the  westward  and  northward 
around  Cape  Farewell,  and  flows  up  the  western  coast  of  Greenland, 
until,  in  lat.  (about)  67°  N.,  it  meets  and  mingles  with  the  current 
from  Baffin's  Bay.  These  united  currents  set  southward  with  great 
strength  down  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and  trending  eastward,  pass 
around  and  down  the  eastern  coast  of  Newfoundland  and  into  the  Gulf 
Stream,  carrying  with  them  the  immense  icebergs  launched  from  the 
numerous  glaciers  of  West  Greenland  and  so  much  of  the  ice-fields  as 
had  survived  the  passage  from  Davis  Strait."  The  passage  of  the  ship 
did  not  exceed  three  nules  an  hour,  but  she  broke  through  the  frag- 
ments of  solid  ice-pans,  clearing  the  floe  within  two  days,  and  arriving 
at  Godhavn  on  the  17th.  Here  she  learned  the  death  of  the  Danish 
Inspector  Smith,  so  frequently  referred  to  in  all  previous  American 
expeditions.  Leaving  Godhavn  July  20,  the  "  Neptune  "  encountered 
a  blinding  snowstorm,  rendering  it  impossible  to  pick  her  way  through 
the  channels.  She  tied  up  to  the  ice-fields  for  the  night.  Working 
again  with  difficulty  from  the  23d  to  the  28th,  after  helplessly  drifting 
with  the  tides  in  plain  view  of  Cape  York  and  the  Crimson  Cliffs  of 
Beverly,  she  passed  Littleton  Island;  but,  a  half  hour  later,  was 
checked  by  an  unbroken  ice-barrier,  from  twelve  to  twenty  feet  thick^ 
extending  from  Cape  Inglefield  on  the  West,  across  the  sound,  to  Ross 
Bay  and  to  the  northern  horizon.  Turning  again  southward,  and 
looking  in  only  at  Life-boat  Cove  and  Port  Foulke,  she  made  a  toler- 
ably comfortable  anchorage  in  Pandora  Harbor,  finding  here  Sir  Allen 
Young's  record  of  his  visit  in  the  "Pandora,"  1875;  and,  for  a  most 
acceptable  change  from  the  ordinary  ship's  fare,  abundance  of  game  — 


THE   "NEPTUNE"   RETURNS.  547 

Arctic  hares,  eider  ducks,  auks,  and  a  variety  of  gulls.  August  7,  the 
field  ice  having  been  thoroughly  broken  by  the  southwest  gales,  tiie 
"  Neptune  "  again  turned  northward,  reaching  on  the  10th  hit.  71>°  20', 
twelve  miles  from  Cape  Hawks  and  seventeen  from  Cape  Prescott. 
On  the  18th  she  anchored  in  Payer  Harbor,  lat.  78°  42'  N.,  long.  74° 
21',  finding  on  Brevoort  Island,  and  on  an  islet  near  it,  Captain  Nares' 
record  and  the  depot  established  by  Captain  Stephenson.  The  broken 
cache  was  rebuilt,  and  a  record  of  the  "  Neptune  "  placed  in  it. 

Making  a  third  northward  effort  on  the  23d,  but  checked  in  it. 
Captain  Sopp  found  the  condition  of  the  ice  and  the  prevalence  of  the 
southwest  winds  to  demand  that  the  ship  should  seek  a  harbor ;  he 
returned  to  Pandora  Bay,  and  from  thence,  after  several  unsuccessful 
attempts  even  to  establish  a  depot  as  far  north  as  Cape  Hawks,  an- 
chored off  Littleton  Island  on  the  28th.  Mr.  Beebe  here  effected  a 
landing,  and  established  one  cache  on  Cape  Sabine  and  a  second  on 
Littleton  Island,  securing  these  so  as  to  be  invisible  from  any  point 
a  few  yards  distant,  that  they  might  be  safe  from  the  Etali  Eskimos, 
a  party  of  whom  had  already  twice  visited  the  "Neptune."  Minute 
directions  for  finding  these  stores,  as  well  as  a  whaleboat  placed  on 
Cape  Isabella,  were  left  on  another  part  of  the  Island,  as  had  been 
requested  by  Lieutenant  Greely's  letter  of  the  previous  year.  Mr. 
Beebe  was  satisfied  that  if  Lieutenant  Greely  should  come  down  to 
Cape  Sabine  he  would  readily  find  these.  After  effecting  this  provi- 
sion for  the  future  of  that  party,  he  was,  however,  reluctantly  com- 
pelled to  assent  to  the  decision  of  the  captain  of  the  "Neptune,"  its  first 
oflBcer,  Mr.  Norman,  ana  the  surgeon,  to  return  to  the  United  States. 
Further  delay  was  useless  and  extremely  hazardous,  and  the  safety  of 
the  ship  and  the  lives  of  all  on  board  demanded  an  immediate  «h'iiar- 
ture.  On  the  8th  of  September  Godhavn  .was  again  roached,  and  ti»e 
dogs,  dog-food  and  lumber  put  on  shore  for  a  subsequent  expedition: 
on  the  24th  the  "Neptune"  anchored  again  at  St.  Johns.  The  voyage 
was  another  and  a  striking  illustration  of  the  uncertainty  of  ice-navi- 
gation, especially  as  contrasted  with  that  of  the  "  Proteus  "  when  she 
took  out  the  party  under  Lieutenant  Greely  the  previous  year.  It  w;uj 
disheartening  to  the  friends  of  Arctic  Exploration,  as  well  as  to  the 


648  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

relatives  of  the  explorers,  that  no  supplies  could  be  afforded  to  those 
at  such  distance  from  home,  and  no  reports  of  their  labors  or  of  their 
condition  could  be  received.  Nothing  whatever  could  be  done  until 
the  summer  of  1883. 

THE   RELIEF   SHIP    "PROTEUS,"    1883. 

In  obedience  to  orders  from  the  War  Department  and  from  the 
chief  signal  officer  U.  S.  A.,  Lieutenant  E.  A.  Garlington  left  New- 
York  on  board  the  U.  S.  steamer  "Yantic,"  Commander  Wildes,  June 
12,  and,  on  arriving  at  St.  Johns  on  the  21st,  finding  there  the  steam- 
ship "  Proteus,"  which  had  been  chartered  for  an  expedition  to  relieve 
Lieutenant  Greely's  party,  nearly  ready  for  sea.  After  a  consultation 
with  Commander  Wildes,  the  steamships  "  Yantic "  and  "  Proteus  " 
left  St.  Johns  June  29,  Lieutenant  Garlington  having  been  joined  on 
board  the  "  Proteus  "  by  Lieutenant  J.  C.  Colwell,  U.  S.  N.,  on  duty, 
under  orders  from  the  Navy  Department,  as  a  volunteer. 

Disco  Island  was  sighted  July  6,  but  Captain  Pike,  "  by  some  error 
in  his  bearings,"  ran  by  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  and  was  making 
about  due  course  for  Rittenbenk,  when  some  one  on  deck  discovered  a 
pilot-boat  steaming  after  them.  The  ship  was  put  about  and  the 
captain  piloted  into  Godhaven. 

The  "  Yantic  "  arrived  on  the  12th,  having  come  all  the  way  under 
sail  and  encountering  no  ice.  Commander  Wildes  informing  the  lieu- 
tenant that  he  would  remain  at  Godhavn  probably  a  week,  and  then 
go  to  the  Waigat  Strait  to  j)rocure  coal,  Garlington  left  the  harbor  on 
the  16th,  determined  to  push  his  way  forward  without  further  delay. 
The  Inspector  and  the  Governor  of  Godhavn  both  assured  him  that 
there  would  probably  be  no  difficulty  in  reaching  the  station.  On  the 
17th,  when  passing  Hare  Island,  icebergs  were  numerous  in  every 
direction.  On  the  18th  the  "  Proteus  "  was  forcing  her  way  through 
ice  varying  from  two  to  six  feet  in  thickness,  and  on  the  second  day 
following  she  was  stopped  by  an  impenetrable  pack.  Lieutenant  Col- 
well determined  the  longitude,  by  an  artificial  horizon  placed  on  the 
floe,  to  be  61°  30',  "  proving  the  captain  of  the  ship  to  be  entirely  in 
error  as  to  his  position  :  Captain  Pike  had  no  idea  of  what  was  the 


A   MISTAKEN   LEAD.  549 

local  deviation  of  the  compass."     The  "  Proteus  "  again  turned  south, 
Cape  York  in  sight ;  on  the  22d  the  southeast  Carey  Island,  the  cache 
of  Nares'  Expedition,  was  visited,  and  a  record  taken  up  which  was 
made  there  Aug.  1,  1881. 
The  record  is  as  follows : 

"  International  Polar  Expedition  to  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  fitted  out  by  the  War 
Department,  under  the  supervision  of  General  W.  B.  Hazen,  Chief  Signal  Officer 
U.  S,  Army,  and  commanded  by  First  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely  Fifth  Cavalry. 
A.  S.  O.  and  Asst. 

"  Left  in  the  SteamsUip  '  Proteus,'  island  of  Upernavik,  7  p.  m.,  July  29,  1881, 
and  at  7  A.  M.,  July  31,  stopped  by  a  heavy  fog  about  six  miles  south  of  land  supposed 
to  be  Cape  York.  Middle  passage  taken  and  found  to  be  enlirdy  unobstructed  by  ice. 
All  well.     This  notice  deposited  August  1,  1881. 

(Signed)  "J.  B.  LOCKWOOD. 

"  Lieut.  23d  Inf.  U.  S.  Army,  Third  Officer." 

(Memoranda.) 

"  One  keg  of  biscuits  opened  and  found  mouldy.  One  can  of  beef  opened  and 
found  good.  Stores  generally  found  appax-ently  in  same  condition  as  when  deposited 
liere  in  1875. 

(Signed)  "  J.  B.  LOCKWOOD,  Lieut.  U.  S.  Army." 

At  Cape  Sabine,  Payer  Harbor,  the  cache  of  stores  made  by  the 
party  from  the  "  Neptune  "  the  year  previous,  was  found  to  be  in  fair 
^condition. 

THE   " PROTEUS "   CRUSHED. 

Under  the  ever  quickly  changing,  but  now  favorable  condition  of 
the  leads  in  the  ice,  Lieutenant  Garlington  determined  to  go  out  in  the 
harbor,  to  examine  these  and  endeavor  once  more  to  go  North.  By  his 
glass  he  saw  that  "  the  pack  had  broken  and  open  lanes  of  water  had 
formed,  leading  across  Buchanan  Strait  along  Bache  Island  and  across 
Princess  Marie  Bay.  At  8  P.  M.  the  'Proteus'  rounded  Cape  Sabine 
and  proceeded  through  the  open  leads  in  the  broken  ice  to  within  four 
miles  of  Cape  Albert,  where  the  ship  was  stopped  about  six  hundred 
yards  from  the  open  water,  and  Captain  Pike's  efforts  to  force  a  passage 
by  ramming  entirely  failed." 


650  AMElllCAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

The  fatal  issue  now  came.  The  "  Proteus  "  on  arriving  next  day 
again  within  four  miles  of  Cape  Albert,  discovered  that  the  open  lane 
was  now  filled  with  a  solid  pack ;  she  turned  southward  in  a  fruitless 
attempt  to  make  her  way  out ;  at  2.45,  movement  in  any  direction  was 
impossible.  Ice  from  five  to  seven  feet  in  thickness  came  against  her 
sides  and  then  piled  itself  up  on  the  floe  amidships  and  astern ;  at  4.30 
P.  M.,  the  starboard  rail  gave  way,  the  ice  forced  its  way  through  the 
ship's  side  into  the  bunker,  the  deck  planks  rose,  the  seams  opened  out ; 
at  7.15  she  slowly  passed  out  of  sight  on  an  even  keel.  Alive  from  the 
outset  to  the  coming  crush  of  the  nip,  Lieutenants  Garlington  and  Col- 
well  and  Dr.  Harrison  had  succeeded  in  saving  one  of  the  boats  and  a 
quantity  of  the  stores ;  the  Report  to  the  Signal  Officer  affirms  that 
with  the  exception  of  the  Chief  Engineer  of  the  "  Proteus  "  and  the 
Boatswain,  none  of  the  crew  of  the  "Proteus"  lent  assistance  to  this 
work,  but  employed  themselves  in  opening  and  rifling  the  boxes  even 
of  private  clothing.  With  some  of  the  stores  saved.  Lieutenant  Col- 
well  made  a  cache  three  miles  west  of  Cape  Sabine,  which  was  after- 
wards increased  by  the  two  sidereal  chronometers  and  a  quantity  of 
clothing.     The  cache  was  intended  for  Lieutenant  Greely's  party. 


THE  BOAT  JOURNEY  SOUTH. 

To  render  assistance  to  Greely  being  now  impossible,  there  remained 
nothing  for  the  parties  from  the  "  Proteus  "  except  the  choice  either  of 
spending  the  winter  with  the  Eskimos  or  attempting  to  cross  Melville 
Bay  in  boats.  Lieutenant  Colwell  headed  boldly  across  the  bay  to 
establish  communication  with  the  "  Yantic " ;  the  rest  of  the  party 
started  to  coast  around  the  bay  and  reach  Upernavik ;  after  a  severe 
Arctic  experience,  Colwell  reached  Upernavik  on  the  23d,  and  finding 
that  the  "  Yantic  "  was  not  there,  pushed  forward  to  Godhavn  where  he 
found  the  tender,  and  gladly  learned  from  Commander  Wildes  that  on 
the  2d  of  the  month  at  Upernavik,  he  had  received  on  board  all  of  the 
other  parties  from  the  "Proteus."  Lieutenant  Colwell's  boats  had 
spent  in  them  thirty-eight  days,  making  a  voyage  of  nearly  one  thou- 
sand miles. 


THE  COURT   OF   INQUIRY.  551 

September  13,  Comiuauder  Wildes  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  from  St.  Johns,  the  arrival  of  the  ''Yantic,"  bringing  Captain 
Pike  and  crew  of  the  "  Proteus  "  and  Lieutenant  Garlington  and  the 
Greely  Relief  Party.  Garlington  telegraphed  to  the  Chief  Signal  OHicer 
the  total  failure  of  the  Expedition  and  the  crushing  of  the  •'  Proteus." 

The  history  of  this  Relief  Expedition  being  at  the  date  of  this  writ- 
ing, a  subject  of  investigation  before  a  Court  of  Inquiry  ordered  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  it  would  seem  out  of  place  and  prema- 
ture to  extend  these  details.  It  is,  however,  eminently  proper  to  refer 
all  who  would  form  a  judgment  of  the  voyage  of  either  the  "  Proteus  " 
or  the  "  Yantic,"  to  the  different  experiences  of  the  Arctic  ships  which 
have  attempted  this  northern  passage.  They  are  properly  commented 
upon  by  Commander  Wildes  in  his  letter  of  Oct.  10,  1883,  to  lion. 
W.  E.  Chandler,  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Those  at  all  familiar  with 
Arctic  literature  will  be  slow  to  condemn  either  Lieutenant  Garlington 
or  Commander  Wildes;  the  first  for  his  conscientious  attempt  to  go 
forward  for  the  relief  of  Greely,  at  a  time  when  tlie  open  leads  seemed 
to  make  such  a  decision  imperative  ;  or  the  second  for  not  pressing 
forward  his  ship  well  known  to  be  ill-fitted  for  severe  Arctic  exper- 
iences. Commander  Wildes  has  justly  said:  "  I  did  not  intend  to  run 
the  vessel  under  my  command  in  the  haphazard,  happy-go-lucky  fj\shion 
which  finally  brought  the  'Proteus'  to  grief;  but  to  make  sure,  so  far 
as  possible,  of  every  step  which  I  took.  I  was  governt'd  by  what  I 
have  previously  stated  in  regard  to  the  possibilities  of  Melville  Bay 
and  the  probabilities  of  our  being  beset  in  the  pack.  Once  involved  in 
ice,  I  knew  we  would  be  helpless,  and  our  imprisonment  of  indefinite 
duration.*" 

•  The  Reports  of  Mr.  Beebe  (Signal  Ser\ice  Notes,  Xo.  V.)  anil  of  Lioutenant  (Jar- 
lington,  No.  X.,  together  with  the  Letters  from  the  lion.  Secretaries  of  the  War  and  Navy, 
and  the  Proceedings  of  the  Army  Court  of  Inquiry,  in  session  at  this  date,  will  prewut 
all  the  facts  in  tlje  history  of  an  Expedition  located  in  the  best  interests  of  Science,  and 
deprived  of  relief  only  by  the  unfavorable  condition  of  the  ice  in  the  northern  strait*  for 
the  two  summers,  which  followed  the  very  opposite  conditions  which  favored  tlie  j^arty 
going  out  under  Greely  himself.  This  fickleness  presents  notliing  new  to  the  rea4ler5  of 
Arctic  voyages.  They  will  hope  that  the  summer  of  1884  will  offer  free  passage  to  a  well- 
equipped  party  who  will  find  the  long-absent  observers  under  Greely  safe,  through  their 
endurance  of  three  Arctic  winters. 


552  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN  THE   ICE  ZONES. 

THE   STATION   NEAR   POINT   BARROW,   ALASKA. 

For  the  establishment  of  a  station  in  a  foreign  land  an  Act  of  Con- 
gress was  necessary,  but  the  location  of  an  observing  party  in  Alaska 
was  made  under  the  general  power  of  the  Signal  Officer  to  establish 
stations  in  the  United  States. 

By  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  intrusted 
this  Expedition  to  the  charge  of  First  Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  8th  In- 
fantry, at  the  date  of  June  24, 1881,  Acting  Signal  Officer.  Lieutenant 
Ray's  party  consisted  of  Acting-Assistant  Surgeon  G.  S.  Oldmixon,  with 
three  Sergeants  and  eight  subordinates.  His  orders  were  to  sail  as 
soon  as  practicable  from  San  Francisco  and  establish  a  permanent  Sta- 
tion near  Point  Barrow.  Special  instructions  in  regard  to  the  meteoro- 
logical, magnetic,  tidal,  pendulum  and  other  observations  and  for  the 
collection  of  specimens  for  the  National  Museum  were  placed  in  the 
Lieutenant's  hands.  He  was  informed  that  it  was  designed  to  visit 
the  permanent  Station  by  steam  or  sailing  vessel  in  1882,  '83,  and  '84. 

Ray's  party  sailed  from  San  Francisco  in  the  steamer  "  Golden 
Fleece,"  July  18,  1881. 

On  the  15th  of  September  he  wrote  to  General  Hazen  from  Ooglaa- 
mie,  Alaska :  — 

"Sir,  — I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  the  Expedition  arrived  at  this  place  on 
the  8th  inst.,  and  after  a  careful  survey  found  the  most  suitable  place  for  the  Station 
to  be  on  the  noitheast  side  of  a  small  inlet,  which  I  have  named  Golden  Fleece, 
about  eight  miles  from  the  extreme  northern  point  of  Point  Barrow,  there  being  no 
high  land  between  here  and  there  and  all  the  intermediate  country  being  interspersed 
with  small  lakes  and  lagoons ;  the  only  high  ground  at  Point  Barrow  is  occupied  by 
an  Indian  village.  The  point  adjacent  to  Point  Barrow,  where  Macguire,  R.  N.  had 
his  observatory,  is,  I  sCra.  told,  submerged  during  western  gales.  On  the  opposite  side 
of  the  inle!;,  about  one  and  a  half  miles  away  is  the  Indian  village  of  Ooglaamie, 
from  which  I  have  named  the  Observatory.  The  voyage  has  been  a  long  one  and 
pailicularly  a  trying  one  upon  the  party,  as  a  heavy  gale  was  encountered  off  Cape 
Lisburne,  driving  us  out  of  our  coui'se  to  the  north  and  west.  And  there  will  still  be 
more  or  less  suflfering  before  I  can  get  quarters  up,  as  the  ground  is  now  covered 
with  snow;  ice  is  forming  rapidly  on  the  inlet  and  lakes,  and  the  cargo  was  landed 
with  extreme  difficulty,  as  it  had  to  be  done  on  an  open  beach ;  and  for  two  days 
through  a  heavy  surf  which  often  half  filled  our  boats  in  landing,  the  spray  freezing 
where  it  struck,  and  the  vessel  liable  to  be  driven  out  to  sea  at  any  hour.     On  the 


THE   T.EO.  553 

12th  a  small  wharf  was  built,  and  that  night  fortunately,  the  wind  and  sea  abntwl 
and  the  balance  of  the  cargo  was  landed  on  the  13th  and  14th,  the  natives  rendering 
valuable  assistance  with  their  oomiaks.  Everything  is  now  on  the  beach  alxjve 
high  tide-mark,  nothing  damaged  or  broken  of  any  importance  so  far  as  I  can  fmd 
out.  It  is  utterly  impossible  for  me  to  state  now  what  may  have  been  omitted  with 
the  time  I  have  got,  as  I  cannot  detain  the  vessel  for  fear  she  may  be  frozen  in  Iw- 
fore  passing  Bering  Straits ;  I  will  only  be  able  to  check  and  correct  as  I  put  my 
stores  in  the  building.  I  have  no  changes  to  recommend  Jis  to  the  members  of  the 
party. 

"  From  what  Professor  Baird  said  to  some  members  of  the  party,  I  find  that  he 
expected  me  to  pi'ocure  specimens  of  native  arms,  boats,  implements,  etc.  As  these 
are  of  value  to  the  natives  they  will  have  to  be  purchased  in  trade,  and  jis  I  have  not 
a  sufficient  supply  for  that  purpose,  having  only  taken  enough  to  purchase  fresh 
meat  and  to  hire  boats  and  labor  in  landing,  I  respectfully  ask  that  I  may  be  in- 
structed in  the  matter. 

"  In  my  report  from  Plover  Bay,  I  mentioned  the  necessity  of  the  vessel  next 
year  sailing  from  San  Francisco  at  an  earlier  date  than  the  ExjMidition  this  year;  the 
severe  exjjerience  of  the  last  fifteen  days  confirms  my  impressions  of  that  tlate. 
Have  not  seen  the  sun  since  I  have  been  here.  I  give  the  latitude  and  longitude  by 
dead  reckoning  from  ray  own  log-book  —  lat.  71^  17  50"  N.,  long.  lo6^  2:5  4iV  W." 

RELIEF   EXPEDITION   TO   POINT   BARROW. 

June  24,  1882,  Lieutenant  J.  S.  Powell,  U.  S.  A.,  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  in  the  schooner  "  Leo,"  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons  burden, 
with  supplies  for  the  Signal  Service  Station  Ooglaamie.  At  St. 
Michael,  July  26,  Powell  shipped  as  cabin-boy  a  native  named  Kaii-u- 
ark,  to  act  as  interpreter  and  messenger.  This  was  effected  only  after 
much  persuasion.  The  news  of  the  loss  of  the  "Jeannette"  Iiaving 
already  reached  the  people,  they  seemed  loath  to  venture  abroad  in  the 
white  man's  ships.  "The  simple  native  of  these  shores,"  says  l*(»\vell, 
"when  he  sees  the  mighty  oomiaks  of  the  white  man  go  away  in  the 
gloom  of  the  mysterious  North,  refuses  to  venture  within  the  rearh  of 
the  baleful  power  of  the  icy  North." 

On  reaching  Bering  Sea,  a  heavy  gale  from  the  North  was  cxjier- 
ienced  with  weather  too  thick  to  make  headway  towartl  the  straits. 
The  "  Leo  "  for  several  days  lay  without  sight  of  land  or  sun  about  four 
miles  from  the  entrance  of  Plover  Bay  ;  the  fog  clearing,  she  wa.s  towt-d 
up  the  bay  by  the  U.S.  Revenue  Cutter  "  Corwin,"  Captain  J.  V. 
Healy,  and  again  brought  out  to  sea  by  the  same  shij). 


564  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS    IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

Passing  through  a  renewal  of  dense  fogs  and  of  a  heavy  gale,  the 
ship  lay  at  anchor  three  days  at  Port  Clarence,  and  thence  passed 
through  the  strait  and  crossed  the  Arctic  Circle.  On  the  14th,  Cape 
Lisburne  was  sighted  under  the  experience  of  another  heavy  gale ;  but 
at  12  M.  on  the  18th,  Powell  was  in  a  calm,  long.  158°  50'  W.,  lat.  71° 
21'  N.,  and  at  8  of  the  same  day,  a  southeast  breeze  sprang  up  which 
Powell  thought  would  quickly  bear  the  ship  to  Point  Barrow.  The 
next  morning  he  was  surprised  to  find  himself  considerably  to  the 
northeast  of  it,  by  the  action  of  a  strong  northeast  current.  On  land- 
ing at  the  Station  August  20,  Lieutenant  Ray  confirmed  the  observa- 
tions of  this  current,  adding  that  had  it  become  calm,  the  "Leo"  might 
have  drifted  to  the  northeast  and  been  crushed  by  ice ;  the  vessels 
caught  in  this  current  move  off  to  the  northeast  and  not  a  piece  of 
timber  ever  returns. 

Powell  says  in  his  Report  (Signal  Service  Notes,  No.  X.) :  — 

"  The  pi'ospect  from  the  station,  even  in  summer,  when  it  is  at  its  best,  is  monot- 
onous and  uninviting,  and  in  winter  it  must  be  dreary  indeed.  The  tundra  spreads 
away  level  and  brown,  relieved  here  and  there  by  patches  of  sickly  green,  guttered 
in  all  directions  by  shallow  water-courses,  and  covered  with  small  shallow  pools, 
while  at  no  point  within  view  does  it  reach  an  elevation  of  fifty  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  Vegetation  is  verj"^  scanty,  consisting  chiefly  of  moss  and  lichens  and 
other  cryptogamous  growths,  with  occasional  patches  of  hai-d,  wiry  grass,  and  a  few 
simple  flowers.  The  only  shrub  to  be  found  is  the  dwarf  willow,  which,  instead  of 
growing  in  an  erect  position,  creeps  along  under  the  moss  as  if  trying  to  hide  from 
the  inclement  blasts,  and  in  summer,  it  shoots  forth  its  pretty  rose-colored  catskins 
and  green  leaves  through  its  mossy  covering  in  a  timid  and  hesitating  manner,  as  if 
aware  of  the  uncongenial  character  of  its  surroundings. 

"  During  eight  months  of  tiie  year  the  earth  is  frozen,  and  during  the  remaining 
four  it  thaws  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  from  the  surfice,  but  below  that  dei)th  it  is  per- 
manently frozen  to  an  unknown  depth,  probably  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hun- 
dred feet.  It  is  a  desolate  land,  interesting  no  doubt,  but  destitute  of  beauty,  one  in 
which  the  struggle  for  existence,  both  by  animal  and  vegetable  life,  is  of  the  hardest, 
where  the  aspects  of  nature  are  harsh  without  grandeur  and  desolate  without  being 
picturesque,  and  where  the  dead  level  of  monotony  everywhere  prevails,  the  greatest 
variety  being  in  the  length  of  days  and  nights,  which  vary  about  seventy-two  days 
to  about  as  many  minutes. 

"  The  year  is  divided  into  seasons,  —  a  winter  eight  months  long  and  a  rather 
uncertain  summer  of  four  months.  The  latter  season,  if  summer  it  can  be  called,  is 
only  such  by  contrast  with  the  preceding  winter,  for  the  temperature  rarely  reaches 
60"^,  and  at  any  time  a  snow-storm  may  occur.     Snow  fell  on  every  day  we  were  at 


ADVANCE   IMPOSSIBLE.  555 

station.  Tlie  lowest  temperature  experienced  at  the  station  was  60^  below  zero. 
During  Lieutenant  Powell's  st:iy  there  was  but  one  day  only  on  which  the  sun  shone 
sufficiently  to  make  observations." 


Of  the  ice  he  says :  — 

"  The  sea  at  Point  Barrow  does  not  freeze  to  a  greater  depth  than  six  or  seven 
feet ;  the  ice  with  which  it  is  filled  comes  from  a  distance,  and  is  generally  a  mixture 
of  new  and  old  worn  ice.  There  is  nothing  in  this  sea  approaching  an  iceln-rg.  hut 
still  some  very  respectable  masses  are  formed,  especially  near  the  co:ist,  where  the 
press\ire  of  the  moving  floes  from  without  is  met  by  the  resist:ince  of  the  lainl,  and 
huge  fields  of  ice  are  driven  over  each  other  until  they  become  groundeil  in  water 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  fathoms  deep  and  are  piled  up  some  forty  or  fifty  feet.  No 
doubt  the  grandeur  and  sublimity  given  to  Arctic  scenery  by  the  immensity  of  ice- 
bergs are  here  wanting,  but  the  immensity  of  jxjwer  displayed  by  the  chaotic  jumble 
of  these  enormous  ice  masses  is  more  calculated  to  impress  the  miml  than  tiie  mere 
bulk  of  lofty  bergs  that  stud  the  seas  on  the  eiustern  side  of  the  contiiu-nt.  The 
broken  floes  are  thrown  together  in  every  conceivable  position,  antl  at  even.*  |x>ssi- 
ble  inclination  of  surface,  in  a  profusion  of  irregularity,  of  which  no  language  can 
convey  an  adequate  idea,  and  which  must  needs  be  seen  to  be  ai)preciated. 

"  Travelling  over  such  a  surface  as  this  is  next  to  impossible,  and  men  without 
encumbrances  could  possibly  advance  eight  or  ten  miles  in  a  day.  but  if  laden  with 
food  or  otherwise,  their  progress  would  be  far  less  than  this  —  heavy  ice-sletis  woidd 
be  almost  impossible.  Wherever  there  is  land  there  is  always  an  ic»vf<x>t  —  a  nar- 
row strip  of  level  ice  along  the  cotist,  over  which  sled-travel  can  be  e:isily  caiTietl 
on,  or  in  narrow  channels  without  currents,  when  the  ice  may  be  comiiaralively 
smooth,  but  in  the  open  sea,  at  a  distance  from  land,  such  travel  need  never  hv  at- 
tempted by  any  means  now  at  our  command,  for  nothing  but  failure  will  atton<l  such 
attempts.  The  fringe  of  grounded  ice  along  the  Point  Barrow  coast  follows  an  irreg- 
ular line,  more  or  less  distant  from  the  shore,  depending  on  the  depth  of  the  water, 
and  varies  from  three  to  five  miles  in  width. 

"Beyond  the  grounded  line,  the  surface  of  the  himimocks  .ind  floes  is  just  as 
rough  and  uneven  as  it  is  everywhere  else,  but  there  is  always  more  or  less  cliange 
going  on  —  sometimes  slowly  and  sometimes  rapitlly.  .Mtliougli  to  the  eye  the  broad 
expanse  of  Jumbled  ice-hummocks  seems  as  stable  as  the  solid  l.nnd.  the  stability  is 
only  app.arent;  a  kind  of  vibratory  motion  t.akes  place  from  tinn-  to  tim«-;  tin-  pp'ss- 
ure  increases  and  decreases  altemately;  currents  set  in,  and  the  wliolr  Ixxly  of  the 
ice  seems  to  oscillate  to  and  fro,  so  that  it  is  seldom  that  the  ix>culiar  noise's  ck-ci- 
sioned  by  the  grinding  and  crushing  together  of  the  slowly  moving  mos^.'s  cannot  Ik- 
heard.  This  song  of  the  icy  sea  is  a  very  peculiar  one.  and  can  scarcely  Ix*  d.'«cril)c«l 
so  as  to  convey  any  clear  idea  of  its  nature.  It  is  not  1(mj<1.  yet  it  can  be  bean!  to  a 
gi-eat  distance;  it  is  neither  a  surge  nor  a  sw.ash.  but  a  kin.l  of  slow,  cra-hing.  gro.an- 
ing,  shrieking  sound,  in  which  sharp,  silvery  tinklings  mingle  with  the  low  thunder- 
ous undertone  of  a  rushing  tempest.     It  impresses  one  with  the  idea  of  ncarnf>s  .and 


556  AMERICAN  EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE  ICE   ZONES. 

distance  at  the  same  time,  and  also  that  of  immense  forces  in  conflict.  When  this 
confused  fantasia  is  heard  from  afar,  through  the  stillness  of  this  Arctic  zone,  the 
effect  is  strangely  weird  and  solemn  —  as  if  it  were  the  distant  hum  of  an  active^ 
living  world  breaking  across  the  boundaries  of  silence,  solitude  and  death."  . 

AURORAS  AND  THEIR  INFLUENCE  ON  THE  MAGNET. 

"  A  description  of  auroral  display,  furnished  me  by  members  of  the  party,  would! 
lead  me  to  suppose  that  no  known  portion  of  the  globe  surpasses  Point  Barrow,  and 
few  equal  it  in  the  intensity  and  brilliancy  of  these  displays.  The  brilliancy  of  the 
displays  bears  no  proportion  to  their  number.  It  was  only  occasionally  that  great 
splendor  and  magnificence  were  reached,  and  the  duration  of  the  greatest  brilliancy 
was  only  brief,  compai'ed  with  that  of  the  display  of  which  it  formed  a  part.  Indi- 
vidual auroras  often  lasted  ten  or  twelve  hours  or  more,  but  the  great  bursts  of 
splendor  and  motion  seldom  lasted  more  than  thirty  minutes,  and  often  did  not  con- 
tinue even  so  long;  but  while  they  lasted  they  were  magnificent,  indeed.  On  such 
occasions  the  sky  became  a  goi'geous  canopy  of  flames,  all  splendor,  color  and  motion ; 
arch,  column,  and  banner  flashed  and  faded ;  silvery  vajs,  with  rosy  bases  and  fringed 
with  gold  or  emerald  green,  danced  and  whirled  around  the  zenith,  and  broad  cur- 
tains of  light  flung  across  the  sky  in  every  form  of  graceful  curve  and  convolution, 
shook  i*ainbow  tints  from  every  fold,  until  the  beholder  became  bewildered  and  lost 
in  the  dazzling  brilliancy. 

"  In  lower  latitudes,  the  aurora  is  mostly  seen  as  a  luminous  arch  extending 
across  the  nortliern  sky.  At  Point  Barrow,  the  arched  form,  though  common,  was  not 
the  prevalent  one,  and  the  arches  that  appeared  were  seldom  perfect,  or  if  so,  only 
for  a  few  moments  at  a  time,  and  the  changes  of  form  were  so  incessant  that  it  was- 
hard  to  decide  which  was  the  prevailing  type.  The  curtain  form,  mostly  broken,  but 
always  convoluted  and  folded  on  itself  like  an  immense  scroll,  was  a  common  foi-m, 
but  whatever  the  form,  the  phenomena  passed  over  the  sky  in  a  succession  of  waves, 
sometimes  from  north  to  south  and  vice  vei-sa.  Intimately  connected  with  the  aurora 
was  the  disturbance  of  the  magnetic  needle  —  in  fact,  during  the  prevalence  of  the 
aurora,  the  magnets  were  in  a  state  of  chronic  perturbation,  especially  during  the 
great  displays,  when  they  were  often  so  disturbed  that  some  of  them  could  not  be 
read." 

"  Having  turned  over  all  supplies  to  Lieutenant  Ray,  Sunday,  August  27,  and  re- 
lieved from  duty  under  my  charge  Sergeant  Joseph  E.  Maxfield  and  Privates  Charles^ 
Ancor  and  John  A.  Guzman,  and  receiving  all  mail  destined  for  the  United  States, 
preparations  were  made  to  leave  this  dreary  region  —  a  region  which  seems  to  rae  to- 
be  one  in  which  the  bright  sunshine  of  hope  enters  with  a  light  so  subdued  that  it 
is  but  the  gleam  from  a  far  distant  planet  peneti'aiing  the  cavern  of  ceaseless  solitude 
and  woe. 

"By  I'eason  of  the  severity  of  the  climate.  Sergeant  James  Cassidy  was  re- 
lieved by  Lieutenant  Ray  from  duty  at  Ooglaamie,  and  returned  with  me  to  Saa 
Francisco. 


NEWS   OF   PUTNAM.  557 

"  Anchor  was  weighed  at  2  p.  M.,  Sunday,  and  our  homeward  voyage  begun  in  a 
snow-storm.  Heavy  drift-ice  was  moving  rapidly  to  the  southwest.  This  ice  was 
of  very  peculiar  construction  and  of  varied  tints,  with  heiglit  from  three  to  tliirtv 
feet.  Before  the  gale  began,  which  was  previously  mentioned  as  occurring  on  the 
24th,  the  ice  began  drifting  from  the  northeast,  in  a  contrary  direction  to  its  usual 
course,  and  I  judged  from  the  movement  on  Sunday,  being  identically  the  same,  we 
would  have  another  gale  from  the  same  quarter.  My  judgment  wjis  correct;  for, 
on  Monday,  the  gale  commenced  in  earnest.  We  passed  Point  Belcher  at  9  a.  m., 
August  28,  and  Icy  Cape  at  11  p.  M.,  reached  East  Cape,  Asia,  Saturday,  September 
20,  and  lay  there  Sunday  and  Monday.  There  is  quite  a  large  village  locatftl  at 
East  Cape,  and  the  natives  have  a  regularly  installed  chief — the  only  place  we 
visited  where  we  found  a  chief.  We  sailed  from  East  Cai)e  to  the  Diomedes  Islands, 
reaching  there  in  a  gale  from  the  East.  Left  the  Diomedes  at  twelve  midnight, 
bound  for  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  and  anchored  inside  the  harbor  at  3  p.  M.  ne.xt  day. 
This  bay  is  full  of  historic  reminiscences  connected  with  the  burning  of  the  U.  S. 
steamer  '  Rodgere,'  of  the  Jeannette  Relief  Expedition.  The  natives  came  on  board 
clothed  in  some  of  the  apparel  left  them  by  the  officers  and  crew  of  this  ill-fated 
vessel.  Several  had  recommendations  from  the  Rodgere  party,  and  in  compliance 
with  requests  made  therein,  each  one  Was  supplied  with  toKacco,  bread  an«l  mol-isses. 
One  of  the  natives  described  to  me  the  accident  which  befell  Master  Putnam  of  the 
Navy,  and  stated  that  some  time  after  the  ice-floe,  bearing  Putnam,  drifted  out  to 
sea,  a  southeasterly  wind  brought  the  floe  back  to  shore,  and  he  saw  the  remains  of 
Putnam  on  it,  his  face  and  hands  much  discolored  and  the  body  swollen.  The  ice 
did  not  remain  long,  but  floated  out  again,  moving  toward  the  Arctic. 

"We  left  St.  Lawrence  Bay  on  September  S,  and  reached  Plover  Bay  on  11th. 
at  2  p.  M.  Owing  to  cloudiness,  I  failed  to  get  an  observation  of  the  sun  on  that  day. 
On  Tuesday  the  9th,  I  left  the  vessel  for  shore  at  7.30  A.  M.,  but  had  to  wait  an  hour 
for  the  fog  to  rise.  Succeeded  in  getting  two  sights,  but  had  to  suspend  oiiemtions, 
as  the  rain  began  to  fall.  It  cleared  iip  sufficiently  by  the  afternoon  to  secure  six 
sights  through  the  clouds  —  three  upper  and  three  lower  limb. 

We  sailed  from  Plover  Bay  September  13,  for  Fort  St.  Michael's,  to  return  the 
native,  Kan-u-ark,  who  shipped  with  us  at  that  place.  Shortly  after  leaving  Plover 
Bay  a  gale  sprang  up,  which  compelled  us  to  alter  our  course  and  run  to  the  south 
of  St.  Lawi-ence  Island.  At  5  p.  M.  of  the  14th,  the  ship  struck  a  reef  of  hidd«'n 
rocks,  not  marked  on  chart,  about  six  miles  south  of  the  island.  For  a  whil<^  it 
looked  as  if  we  would  winter  in  this  region,  or  else  go  to  the  lK)ttora.  Tlio  h^.-ivy 
sea  favored  the  vessel  in  getting  ofl".  The  pumps  wore  manned,  and.  to  our  satis- 
faction, we  found  but  little  water  making.  M.ade  St.  Michaels  Septeml)er  17.  Wliile 
at  this  place  I  made  informal  inspection  of  the  Signal  Office.  Left  St.  Mi(  Imels  on 
the  20th,  and  touched  at  Goiovin  Bay  same  date.  On  the  2Sth  of  Septemher.  in 
Bering  Sea,  the  barometer  commenced  falling  rapidly,  and  a  fierce  s;-»Ic  sprang  up 
from  the  East,  which  soon  blew  with  so  much  violence  that  we  won*  obliijed  to  t.ake 
in  all  our  canvas  and  heave  to  under  a  double-reefc<l  mainsail  and  foresail.  >N  e 
expected  by  the  next  day  that  it  would  have  blown  itself  out  and  the  worst  be  over. 


558  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

but  it  only  increased  in  fnvy,  and  for  the  next  day,  and  the  next,  and  for  full  five,  we 
were  tossed  to  and  fro,  at  the  mercy  of  such  a  storm  as  I  hope  I  shall  never  again 
experience.  By  the  time  the  storm  was  over,  the  entire  party  were  worn  out,  and 
the  patience  exhibited  under  such  circumstances  certainly  became  a  virtue.  We 
passed  through  Unimak  Pass  on  the  5th  of  October.  Our  voyage  from  thence  across 
the  Pacific  to  San  Francisco  was,  on  the  whole,  favorable,  and  we  reached  the  latter 
place  October  2." 

EAY's   RETURN. 

Lieutenant  Ray's  party  were  unfortunately  recalled  by  a  positive 
enactment  of  Congress  at  its  Session  of  1882-83.  They  arrived  at 
Washington  in  October  1883. 

The  full  Report  of  the  work  executed  at  Ooglaamie  is  being  pre- 
pared by  the  Lieutenant,  while  these  sheets  are  passing  through  the 
press ;  his  reductions  of  the  observations  made  and  arrangement  of 
other  material  will  probably  require  a  period  of  some  months,  and  will 
be  published  by  the  Chief  Signal  Officer.  They  will  be  looked  for  with 
much  interest. 


INCIDENTAL  BENEFITS  OF  EXPLORATION. 

A  most  important  gain  resulting  from  Arctic  exploration  is  the  ex- 
tension of  geographical  knowledge  by  the  discoveries  which  have  added 
a  large  surface  to  our  maps  and  charts.  They  have  done  more.  The 
'discoveries  have  increased  the  domain  of  civilization  and  commerce, 
bringing  under  English  rule  a  new  and  large  section  of  the  American 
Continent,  and  opening  up  the  acquisition  of  Alaska  by  the  United 
States.  To  cite  the  language  of  Hon.  Judge  Daly,  President  of  the 
American  Geographical  Society :  — 

"  Explorations  for  the  discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage,  and  those  sent  out  for 
the  relief  of  Sir  John  Franklin  or  other  absent  explorers,  resulted  in  tlie  discovery  of 
that  gi-eat  region  lying  within  the  Arctic  Circle  between  60°  and  130°  west  longitude 
up  to  Cape  Parry  71°  23'  west  longitude,  and  77°  6'  north  latitude ;  or,  from  Davis  Strait 
to  Cape  Bathurst;  embracing  Banks,  Prince  Albert,  and  Prince  Patrick's  Lands,  Mel- 
ville Island  and  Sound,  McClintock's  Channel,  Bathurst  Island,  Victoria,  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  King  William  Land,  Boothia,  and  Gulf  of  Boothia,  North  Somerset,  North 
Devon,  Melville  Peninsula,  Cockburn  Island,  Grinnell,  EUesmere,  and  Washington 
Lands,  Lancaster,  Eclipse,  and  Jones'  Sounds,  Wellington  Channel,  Kellett,  Barrow 


RESULTS   OF   EXPLORATIONS.  r).59 

Straits,  Franklin  Straits,  Peel,  Sir  James  Ross,  and  the  Furj-  and  Ileda  Strait^,,  lie- 
gent's  Inlet,  and  the  discovery  in  1833,  by  Sir  James  Ross,  of  the  North  Magnetic 
Pole.' " 

To  these  discoveries  in  the  West  are  to  be  added  tlie  lands  outlying 
the  Siberian  Coasts,  now,  for  the  first  time  in  the  world's  history, 
circumnavigated.  The  Circurapolar  Map  to  be  found  in  the  pocket  of 
the  volume  shows  the  chief  localities  visited  and  the  names  of  the 
explorers,  the  latest  American  visits  being  noticed. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  in  1865,  Captain 
Sherard  Osborn  said  :  — 

•'  In  the  year  1818  Baffin's  discoveries  on  the  one  hand  and  those  of  Bering  upon 
the  other,  with  dots  for  the  mouths  of  the  Mackenzie  and  Ilearn  Rivei-s,  were  all  we 
knew  of  the  strange  labyrinth  of  lands  and  waters  now  accurately  tlelinealeti  uixin 
our  charts  of  the  Arctic  Zone.  Sailors  and  travellers  in  thirty-six  years  have  accom- 
plished all  this;  not  always,  be  it  rememl)ered,  in  well-storeil  ships,  sjiiling  nipidly 
from  point  to  point,  but  for  the  most  part  by  patient  toiling  on  foot,  or  coxsting  in 
open  boats  round  every  bay  and  fiord.  Sir  Leojjold  McClintock  tells  the  Royal 
Dublin  Society  that  he  estimates  the  foot  explorations  accomplished  in  the  search  for 
Franklin  alone  at  about  forty  thousand  miles.  Yet  during  tiiose  thirty-six  velars  of 
glorious  enterprise  by  ship,  by  boat,  and  by  sledge.  Engl;ind  only  fairly  lost  one  vx- 
pedition  and  one  jjundred  and  twenty-eight  souls  out  of  forty-two  successive  exp^'di- 
tions,  and  has  never  lost  a  sledge  party  out  of  .about  one  hundred  that  liave  toiled 
within  the  Arctic  Circle.  Show  me  ujx)n  the  globe  an  equal  amount  of  geographical 
discovery,  or  in  histoiy  as  .arduous  achievement,  witli  .a  smaller  amount  of  human 
sacrifice,  and  then  I  will  concede  that  Arctic  Exploi-ation  has  entailed  more  than  its 
due  amount  of  suflferlng." 

At  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  American  Geographical  Society  of 
New  York,  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell  replied  to  questions  of  liko  character 
by  stating  some  of  the  results  in  the  extension  of  commerce  and 
trade  :  — 

"  1.  Sir  H.  Gilbert's  discovery  of  the  cod  fisheries  of  Newfoundland. 

"2.  From  Davis'  discoveries  the  great  whale  fisheries  of  tlie  West. 

"3.  From  the  discoveries  of  Hudson  (who  .also  <liseovered  and  s.iil.-d  into  our 
North  River,  wliich  now  bears  his  name,  while  on  an  Arctic  voyage).  IIuiLson's 
Ray,  and  the  oj>erations  of  the  great  fur  comp.anies. 

••  i.  Sir  John  Ross;  the  wiialo  fishery  of  the  North  :in<l  northwest  of  H.ilVin'  U.»y. 

"5.  CapUin  Parry;  whale  fishery  of  I^ancaster  .Sound.  B.irrow  Strait,  an.l  Prince 
Regent's  Inlet. 


660 


AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN    THE   ICE   ZONES. 


"  6.  Admiral  Beechey ;  whale  fishery  of  Bering  Straits,  in  which,  in  the  space  of 
two  yeai-s,  the  whalers  of  Nantucket  and  New  Bedford  obtained  cai-goes  from  which 
it  is  said  they  have  realized  eight  millions  of  dollars." 

In  addition  to  the  last  of  these  statements  from  Mr.  Grinnell,  in 
which  he  refers  to  the  discoveries  by  Admiral  Beechey,  R.  N.,  must  be 
taken  into  account  the  later  and  still  more  profitable  explorations  made 
by  the  officers  of  the  American  Navy  and  Merchant  Marine.  By  these 
explorations  the  safety  and  success  of  the  whaling  fleets  have  been  very 
materially  forwarded. 

"  Far  beyond  the  profits  of  the  whale  fisheries  also  is  to  be  placed 
the  daily  increasing  value  of  the  trade  in  the  fur-seal  and  seal-otter 
skins  to  the  merchant  companies,  and  the  revenue  derived  from  these 
to  the  U.  S.  Government.  Ten  years  ago,  the  gross  value  of  the  fur 
trade  of  Alaska  exceeded  one  million  dollars.  The  revenue  of  the 
U.  S.  Government  from  the  seal-islands  alone  was  $300,000  per  annum. 
For  the  last  ten  years  respectively,  the  revenue  per  annum,  as  stated  oa 
the  books  of  the  Treasury  Department  has  been  the  following :  — 

Table  of  Revenue  fkom  the  Alaska  Fisheries. 


Year. 

Tax  on  Sealskins. 

Rent. 

Total. 

1873 

$252,181.12 

$55,000.00 

$307,181.12 

1874 

301,610.42 

55,000.00 

356,610.42 

1875 

262,494.75 

55,000.00 

317,494.75 

1876 

262,584.00 

,55,rX)0.00 

317,584.00 

1877 

236,155.50 

55.JOO.00 

291,155.50 

1878 

198,255.75 

55,000.00 

253,255.75 

1879 

262,447.-50 

.53,000.00 

317,447.50 

1880 

262,400.25 

55,000.00 

317,400.25 

1881 

262,-594.50 

.55,000.00 

317,594.50 

1882 

261,885.75 

55,000.00 

316,885.75 

1883 

262,295.25 

55,000.00 

317,295.25 

The  increasing  facilities  for  safe  trading  with  this  newly  acquired 
territory,  are  to  be  credited  to  such  explorations  and  surveys  of  intricate 
passes  and  harbors  as  have  been  made  by  the  expeditions  named  in  this 
volume.     The  purchase  of  Alaska  has  been  fully  vindicated. 


REAL  GAINS.  561 

SMALL   LOSS   OF  LIFE. 

To  these  statements  of  results  may  be  added  with  interest  tlie  fact 
that  the  loss  of  life  in  these  Arctic  Explorations  has  been  remarkably 
fimall.  The  number  of  deaths  occurring  in  all  tlie  ships  of  the  exi>edi- 
tions  sent  for  the  relief  of  Franklin,  and  on  those  engaged  in  later 
Arctic  explorations  up  to  the  date  of  1873,  had  not  e<pialled  two  i>er 
<;ent  of  the  officers  and  men  employed.  Nor  have  the  casualties  in  the 
recent  German,  English,  Danish,  Swedish,  and  American  expeditions 
■equalled,  those  ordinarily  occurring  among  the  ships  on  naval  duty  in 
other  regions  of  the  globe.  They  bear  an  inappreciable  proportion  to 
the  losses  in  the  Merchant,  and  especially  the  Whaling  Marine,  in  proof 
of  which  it  is  enough  to  recall  the  statement  bf  Lieutenant  Maury, 
*'  that  the  losses  by  wreckage  around  the  British  Isles  during  a  single 
year,  exceeded  the  aggregate  of  all  those  within  the  history  of  Arctic 
exploration." 

CONCLUSIONS. 

It  has  been  shown,  in  the  beginning  of  this  volume,  that  Explora- 
tion in  the  Arctic  Zones  had  its  origin  in  the  desire  to  find  a  Nortii- 
west  passage  from  Europe  to  the  Indies,  a  problem  which  involved  a 
crossing  at  or  near  the  Pole.  The  history  of  these  efforts  has  also 
shown  the  other  more  valuable  purposes  of  the  Expeditions  which  tliey 
themselves  from  time  to  time  developed,  the  extension  of  Geographical 
discovery,  and  of  the  domain  of  Science  in  its  various  departments,  to 
which  must  be  added  the  more  direct  material  benefits  to  Commerce 
and  Navigation. 

The  problem  of  the  Northwest  passage  is  no  longer  looked  ujMin  as 
of  hopeful  solution  or  utility.  Science  has  ceased  t<i  expect  from  its 
discovery  the  advantages  for  commerce  and  navigation,  the  hoj>e  of 
which  stimulated  the  Explorers ;  and  perhaps  less  can  possibly  bo 
realized  from  the  justly-renowned  completed  Northeast  passage  around 
Asia  than  this,  at  first  sight,  seems  to  promise.  Yet  the  incidental 
results  of  each  of  them  possesses  high  value.  Maury  may  again  be 
quoted : 


562  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

"  The  expeditions  which  have  been  sent  to  explore  unknown  seas 
have  contributed  largely  to  the  stock  of  human  knowledge,  and  they 
have  added  renown  to  nations,  and  lustre  to  diadems.  Navies  are  not 
all  for  war.  Peace  has  its  conquests,  Science  its  glories ;  and  no  navy 
can  boast  of  brighter  chaplets  than  those  which  have  been  gathered  in 
the  fields  of  geographical  exploration  and  physical  research." 

Of  the  problem  of  the  Pole,  Lieutenant  Payer,  of  the  German 
North  Polar  Expedition  of  1869,  has  justly  said  that  "  it  aims  at  deter- 
mining limits  of  land  and  water,  at  perfecting  that  network  of  lines 
with  which  comparative  science  seeks  to  surround  our  planet,  even  to 
the  Pole,  the  discover}^  of  the  physical  laws  which  regulate  climates, 
the  currents  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  sea,  and  the  analogies  of  geol- 
ogy with  the  earth  as  we  see  it." 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  hope  of  reaching  the  ninetieth  degree 
of  the  north  or  south  latitude  is  not  encouraging.  The  Paleocrystic  ice 
forms  an  impenetrable  barrier,  a  conflict  with  which  by  the  strongest 
iron-built  ship  were  hopeless,  and  the  forewarnings  of  Barrow,  ex- 
pressed to  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  more  than  forty  years  ago, 
against  all  efforts  toward  the  extremest  north  by  sledging^  have  con- 
firmed themselves  in  the  severe  experiences  of  Markham,  in  lat.  83°  26 
N.  Even  that  reserved,  —  one  might  say  the  forlorn  hope  —  of  theo- 
rists, the  Bering  Strait  route,  has  been  eliminated  by  the  saddening 
shadows  of  the  "  Jeannette,"  an  elimination  in  itself  of  high  value. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  at  least  long  years  must  elapse  before  even 
American  or  English  liberality  will  sanction  an  expedition  for  the  bare 
purpose  of  reaching  the  Pole.  Volunteers  from  naval  and  civil  life 
are  still  ready  to  offer  themselves  for  the  fascinations  of  the  most 
daring  Arctic  adventure,  but  no  branch  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment will  lend  an  ear.  But,  for  the  further  prosecution  of  researches 
in  the  collateral  branches  of  Science,  for  the  extension  of  geographical 
knowledge,  of  commerce,  civilization,  and  Christianity,  new  expedi- 
tions will  be  set  on  foot.  Arctic  Exploration  will  not  soon  be  aban- 
doned. Baron  Nordenskiold  is  at  this  moment  reported  as  proposing 
an  expedition  to  the  Antarctic,  in  which  ocean  no  expedition  has 
attempted  to  make  any  persistent  exploration,  or  even  to  winter  there. 


FURTHER   EXPLORATIONS.  563 

"England,"  says  Maury, 'through  Cook  and  Ross;  Russia,  through 
Bellingshausen;  France,  through  D'Urville;  and  the  United  States, 
through  Wilkes,  have  sent  expeditions  to  the  South  Sea."  With  any 
remembrance  of  the  unprecedented  appliances  bestowed  by  Science  on 
this  generation,  who  shall  say  that  by  some  still  further  advance  prob- 
lems will  not  be  solved  on  which  the  fullest  light  can  be  thrown  onlv  by 
researches  in  the  regions  in  which  nature  exerts  her  extremest  forces? 
With  these  results  will  also  be  reaped  the  extension  of  the  blessings 
of  civilization  to  races  as  untutored  as  unknown.  To-ilay  the  Fiji 
Islanders  seek  a  confederation  with  Australian  interests.  But  before 
the  explorations  in  the  Antarctic  Sea,  what  were  Australia  itself  and 
New  Zealand  but  cannibal  lands?  What  limit  can  be  set  to  the 
result  of  exploration  and  survey,  and  the  closer  intercourse  of  the 
nations?  Wliat  limit  to  the  advancement  of  knowledge,  which  for  its 
advance  needs  the  extension  of  research  to  the  furthest  possible 
bounds  ? 

While  the  pages  of  this  volume  are  u[)on  the  press,  j)reparations 
have  been  made  for  the  relief  of  the  party  at  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  and 
the  remains  of  DeLong  and  his  comrades  of  the  "  Jeannette,"  have  been 
received  with  appropriate  obsequies  in  New  York. 

The  Board  of  Officers  appointed  to  recommend  a  plan  for  the  relief 
of  the  Greely  expedition,  consisting  of  Gen.  W.  B.  Hazen  and  Capt. 
G.  W.  Davis  of  the  Army,  and  Capt.  J.  A.  Greer  and  Lieut.-Com,  B. 
H.  McCalla  of  the  Navy,  has  made  a  report  which  has  been  aj)i)roved 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  sanctioned  by  Act  of  Congress,  and 
places  the  outlay  for  the  expedition  entirel}'  at  the  discretion  of  the 
President. 

A  memorable  feature  in  the  history  of  the  United  States  Exi>editiiin 
for  the  relief  of  Lieut.  Greely  is  the  addition  of  a  gift  vcssil  fn»ni  the 
British  government,  the  "  Alert,"  the  advance  ship  of  Sir  f  Jeo.  Nares' 
Arctic  Expedition  of  1875.  This  ship  is  peculiarly  fitted  f«>r  the 
intended  service  and,  as  will  be  remembered,  wintered  in  Lady  Frank 
lin  Bay.  This  international  courtesy,  accepted  by  the  President  and 
Congress,  is  a  grateful  reciprocation  of  tiie  presentation  by  tlie  I  nited 


564  AMERICAN   EXPLORATIONS   IN   THE   ICE   ZONES. 

States  of  the  "  Resolute,"  of  Sir  E.  Belcher's  Franklin  Squadron,  a 
ship  picked  up  at  great  personal  risk  at  sea  by  Capt.  James  Budington 
of  New  London,  and  delivered  to  Queen  Victoria  by  Capt.  Hartstene 
in  person,  after  his  own  rescue  of  Kane.  Thus  are  linked  the  imperish- 
able deeds  of  noble  daring  and  of  national  good-will:  proving  the 
story  of  Arctic  adventure  to  be  fraught  with  exhibitions  of  the  finest 
traits  of  elevated  purposes  and  of  characters  formed  by  Arctic  experi- 
ence and  Arctic  study. 

This  last  remark  will  be  sensibly  appreciated  by  the  many  at  home 
and  abroad,  who  are  sharing  to-day  in  the  last  tributes  to  the  brave 
DeLong  and  his  comrades.  The  reco'rds  of  this,  so  exhaustively 
furnished  by  the  New  York  Herald^  closes  the  long  and  generous  sup- 
port of  the  expedition  by  its  proprietor. 

Homage  to  the  martyrs  fallen  in  the  cause  of  science  and  of  their 
country  has  never  been  so  fully  marked.  The  sending  out  to  the 
frozen  wastes  of  Siberia  home  caskets  for  the  dead ;  their  transporta- 
tion of  8,000  miles  through  foreign  lands,  which  everywhere  offered 
tributes  to  the  funeral  cortege;  and  the  heart-throbs  of  their  native 
shores  until  the  dead  were  safe  within  their  resting-places,  contrast 
themselves  strongly  with  the  cold  indifference  and  neglect  of  past  ages 
towards  the  discoverers  of  new  worlds.  The  sufferings  of  the  fallen  in 
our  day  prove  the  occasion  of  such  exhibitions  of  national  good-will 
and  of  honor  to  true  heroism  as  relieve  in  part  the  sorrows  borne  since 
the  fatal  September,  1881.  There  are,  and  ever  will  be,  fair  fruits  born 
out  of  such  acts  of  high  aspirations,  energy,  and  fortitude  in  those  who 
have  gone  out  and  in  their  liberal  supporters ;  exemplars  for  the  lifting 
up  of  the  discouraged,  the  education  of  the  young.  Certainly  volun- 
teers for  the  paths  of  discovery  will,  as  now,  freely  offer  themselves 
until  the  fullest  additions  to  the  domain  of  science  have  had  their 
ingathering. 


APPENDIX. 


BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  INDEX  TO  THE  CHIEF  PUBLICATIONS  ON   POLAR   EXPLORATIONS, 
FROM  THE  DATE  OF  THE  REVIVAL  OF  ARCTIC  EXPLORATION.* 

1818.  Chronological  History  of  Voyages  into  the  Arctic  Regions.     Sir  John  Barrow. 

1819.  Journal  of  a  Voyage  to  the  Arctic  Regions  in  1819.     A.  Fisher. 

"       Voyage  for  Inquiring  into  the  Probability  of  a  Northwest  P;issage,  Baffin's  Bay, 
and  Davis  Strait.     Captain  Sir  John  Ross. 

1820.  Account  of  the  Arctic  Regions,  etc.,  Greenland  and  Spitzbergen.     W.  Scoresby. 

1821.  A  Journal  of  a  Voyage  of  "Hecla"  and  "Griper"  to  tlie  Arctic  Regions  in 

1819-20;  Parry  Islands.     A.  Fisher. 
1821.     Journal  of  a  Voyage  for  the  Discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage,  etc. ;    Parry's 
Islands.     W.  E.  Parry. 

1823.  Journal  of  a  Voyage  to  the  Northern  Whale  Fishery,  Including  Researches  on  the 

East  Coast  of  Greenland.     W.  Scoresby. 
"       Narrative  of  a  Journey  to  the  Shores  of  the  Polar  Sea  in  1819-22,  etc.    Sir  J. 
Franklin. 

1824.  Private  Journal  During  Captain  Parry's  Second  Voyage;  Parry's  Islands.     Lyon. 
*'       Narrative  of  a  Pedestrian  Journey  to  the  Frozen  Sea,  etc.     J.  D.  Cochrane. 

"       Journal  of  a  Second  Voyage  for  the  Discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage,  1821-23, 
etc. ;  Parry  Islands.     Sir  W.  E.  Parry. 

1825.  Account  of  Experiments  to  Determine  the  Figure  of  the  Earth.     Also  a  Brief  Ac- 

count of  Captain  Clavering's  Voyage  to  the  Arctic  Regions.      Major-General 
E.  Sabine. 
"       Brief  Narrative,  Repulse  Bay,  etc.,  Hudson  Strait.     Captain  Lyon.  R.  N. 

1826.  Journal  of  a  Third  Voyage  for  the  Discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage,  1824-25, 

etc. ;  Parry  Islands.     Sir  W.  E.  Parry. 
1828.     Narrative  of  an  Attempt  to  Reach  the  North  Pole  in  1827;  Spitzbergen.     Sir  W.  E. 
Parry. 
Second  Expedition  to  the  Shores  of  North  America.     Franklin  and  Hichardson. 
1832.     Undersogelses-Reise  til  Ostkysten  of  Gronland,   etc.;    East  Greenland.      W.  A. 

Graah. 
1834.     Arctic  Expeditions  from  England  from  1497-18.33.     Anonymous. 

"       The  Position  of  the  North  Magnetic  Pole.     Sir  J.  C.  Ross. 
18.35.     The  Last  Voyage  of  Captain  J.  C.  Ross  to  the  Arctic  Regions,  etc.     R.  Hui.ih. 

Supplement  to  Sir  James  Ross's  Second  Voyage  in  Search  of  a  Northwest  Pa.ssage, 
Boothia  Felix,  etc. ;  Parry  Islands.     S.  Braithwaite. 

•  The  list  here  given,  taken  chiefly  from  the  MmoaI  prepared  for  the  Fj»gll«h  expediUon  of  K5. 
anU  continued  to  the  present  date,  presents  the  order  of  publication  rather  than  that  of  Uw  royagw 
■arrated. 

606 


566  APPENDIX. 

1835.  Narrative  of  a  Residence  in  the  Arctic  Regions  1829-33.     Captain  Sir  J.  Ross. 

"       The  Last  Voyage  of  Captain  Sir  J.  Ross  for  the  Discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage. 

R.  Huish. 
"       Narrative  of  a  Second  Voyage  in  Search  of  a  Northwest  Passage.      Captain  Sir 

J.  Ross. 
"       Sur  les  Decouvertes  Faites  en  Gronland,  etc.     M.  de  la  Roquette. 

1836.  Narrative  of  a  Journey  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  in  1833-35,  etc.    R.  King. 

"       Narrative  of  the  Arctic  Land  Expedition  to  the  Great  Fish  River,  etc.     Sir  G. 
Back, 

1837.  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  East  Coast  of  Greenland,  etc. ;  Translation  by 

MacDougal.     W.  A.  Graah. 

1838.  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Arctic  Shores,  etc.     Sir  Geo.  Back. 

1838-40.     Voyage  en  Gronland  pendant  1835  et  1836,  etc. ;  South  Greenland  and  Iceland. 
P.  Gaimard. 

1839.  Reise  auf  dem  Eismeere  in  1820-24,  etc. ;  Asia.     F.  von  Wrangell. 

"       Sur  la  Frequence  des  Orages  dans  les  Regions  Arctiques.     K.  E.  von  Baer. 
"       Retour  en  France  de  la  Recherche;  Rapport  sur  la  Seconde  Campagne  au  Spitz- 
berg.     Captain  Fabvre. 
1840  and  1841.     Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Polar  Sea  in  1820-23;  Siberia.    F.  von 

Wrangell.     Edited  by  Major  E.  Sabine,  R.  A. 
1843.     Voyage  towards  the  North  Pole  in  1818,  etc. ;  Spitzbergen.     F.  W.  Beechey. 

1845.  Americas  Arctiske  Landes  gamle  Geographie,  etc.     C.  C.  Rafn. 

1846.  Voyages  within  the  Arctic  Regions  from  1818,  etc.     Sir  J.  Barrow. 

1847.  Apercju  de  I'Ancienne  Geograpliie  des  Regions  Arctiques  de  I'Amerique. 
1848-56.     Arctic  Expeditions.    A  Collection  of  Papers  Relative  to  the  Recent  Arctic  Expe- 
ditions, etc. 

1850.  Arctic  Expeditions.     Eskimos  and  English  Vocabulary. 
"       Eskimo  and  English  Vocabulary.     J.  Wasliington. 

"       Arctic  Voyage  to  Baffin's  Bay,  Baffin's  Bay,  and  Lancaster  Sound.     R.  A.  Goodsir. 
"       Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea  in  1846-47.    North 

America  and  Soutliern  parts  of  Parry's  Island.     J.  Rae. 
"       The  Arctic  Expedition  of  1849,  etc.     H.  Kellett  and  others. 
**       The  Franklin  Expedition;  or.  Considerations  for  the  Discovery  of  our  Countrymen 

in  the  Arctic  Region.     W.  Scoresby. 
"       Narrative  of  Arctic  Discovery  from  tlie  Earliest  Period.     J.  J.  Shillinglaw. 

1851.  Arctic  Searcliing  Expeditions  of  1850-51,  etc. 

"       Illustrated  Geography  and  Hydrography,  Wellington  Channel  Section.    J.  Mangles. 
"       Arctic  Searching  Expedition  of  1850-51,  etc. 

"       Voyage  of  tlie  "Prince  Albert"  in  Search  of  Sir  J.  Franklin,  etc.;  Baffin's  Bay 
and  Parry  Islands.     W.  P.  Snow. 

1852.  Om  den  Geographiske  Beskaflfenhed  af  de  Danske.      Handels-distrikter:  Nord- 

gronland,  etc. ;  Greenland.     H.  Rink. 
1852-57.     Gronland  Geographisk  og  Statlstisk  Beskrevet.     H.  Rink. 
1852.     Stray  Leaves  from  an  Arctic  Journal;  Baffin's  Bay  and  Parry  Islands.     Osborn. 

Remarks  on  the  English  Maps  of  Arctic  Discovery  in  1850-51.     Peter  Force. 

Additional  Papers  Relative  to  the  Arctic  Expedition  (in  Search  of  Franklin)  under 
Captain  Austin.     Parliamentary  Paper. 

Further  Correspondence  Connected  with  the  Arctic  Expedition,  etc.,  in  Search  of 
Franklin.     Parliamentary  Paper. 

Report  of  the  Committee  to  Inquire  into  the  Report  on  the  Recent  Arctic  Expedi- 
tions in  Search  of  Franklin.     Parliamentary  Paper. 

The  Search  for  Franklin.     A  suggestion,  etc.     A.  Petermann. 


APPENDIX.  567 

1852.  Journal  of  a  Voyage  in  1850-51;  Davis  Strait,  Baffin's  Bay,  and  Fnmklin  Arehl- 

pelago.     P.  C.  Sutlierland. 

1853.  Across  to  ah  Open  Polar  Sea,  etc.     E.  K.  Kane. 
"       Greenland  Eskimo  Vocabulary,  etc. 

"       Franklin's  Footsteps;  a  Sketch  of  Greenland,  etc.     C.  R.  Markham. 

"       Second  Voyage  of  the  "  Prince  Albert " ;  South  Part  of  Parry  Islands.     Kennedy. 

"  Ten  Months  among  the  Tuski,  with  an  Arctic  Boat  Expedition,  etc  W.  U. 
Hooper. 

'•  A  Summer  Search  for  Sir  J.  Franklin,  etc.,  in  the  "  Isabel,"  in  1852;  Davis  Strait 
and  Baffin's  Bay.     E.  A.  Inglefield. 

"  The  United  States  Grinnell  Expedition,  in  Search  of  Sir  J.  Franklin,  etc. ;  South- 
east Parry  Islands.     E.  K.  Kane. 

"       Narrative  of  Three  Cniises  to  the  Arctic  Regions.     B.  Seeman. 

1854.  Journal  d'un  Voyage  aux  Mers  Polaires,  etc.     J.  R.  Bellot. 

"       Papers  Relative  to  the  Recent  Arctic  Expeditions  in  Search  of  Sir  John  Franklin, 

etc. 
"       Narrative  of  a  Boat  Expedition  up  the  Wellington  Channel  in   1852,  etc     R. 

McCormick. 
"      Arctiske  Stromning.     C.  Irminger. 

1855.  Last  of  the  Arctic  Voyages;  a  Narrative  of  the  Expeditions  of  Her  Majesty's  Ship 

"  Assistance"  in  Search  of  Sir  J.  Franklin,  in  1852-54.     Sir  E.  Belclier. 
"       Coup-d'oeil  d'Ensemble  sur  les  Differentes  Expeditions  Arctiques,  etc.    V.  A.  Malte 

Brun. 
'*       Voyage  in  the  Arctic  Regions.     F.  Mayne. 

1856.  Observations  Meteorologicae  per  Annos   1832-54  in  Groenlandii  Factte.      C.   C. 

Ostergaarde  and  others. 
"       Arctic  Explorations.     The  Second  Grinnell  Expedition,  etc.;  Smith  Sound,  etc 

E.  K.  Kane. 
"       A  Short  Narrative  of  the  Second  Voyage  of  the  "  Prince  Albert"  in  Search  of  Sir 

J.  Fi-auklin.     W.  Kennedy. 
"       Voyages  and  Travels  in  the  Arctic  Regions.     Copy  of  a  Letter,  etc     J.  Rae, 
"       Discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage,  1850-54.     R.  C.  M.  McCIure. 
"       On  the  Open  Water  at  the  Great  Polar  Basin.     R.  White. 
"       Discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage  by  the  "  Investigator,"  etc ;  Southern  Part 

of  Parry  Island.     S.  Osborn. 

1857.  Letters  from  High  Latitudes,  being  an  Account  of  Iceland,  Spitzbergen,  etc     Lord 

Dufferin. 
"       The  Voyage  of  Her  Majesty's  "Resolute"  to  the  Arctic  R^ions,  1852-54;  Parry 

Islands.     G.  F.  McDougall. 
"       Discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage.     McClure. 
"       Erindringer  fra  Polarlandene,  18.50-55,  etc     C.  Petersen. 
"       Personal  Narrative  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage.     Annstrong. 
*'       Arctic  Explorations    and   Discoveries  during  the  Nineteenth  Centur)*.      S.   M. 

Smucker. 

1858.  The  Northwest  Passage,  etc. ;  Southeast  Part  of  Parry  Islands.     J.  Brown. 

1859.  The  Voyage  of   the  "Fox"    in  the  Arctic  Seas,  etc;   Southeast  Part  of  Parry 

Islands.     F.  L.  McClintock. 
1859-61.     Polar  Regions.     Sir  J.  Richardson. 

1860.  Astronomicil    Observations   made  on  the  Northwest    Coast  of  Greenland,  etc 

E.  K.  Kane. 
"       Tidal  Observations  in  the  Arctic  Seas,  etc     E.  K.  Kane. 
"       Explorations,  Arctiques,  etc.     P.  Chaix. 


568  APPENDIX. 

1860.  Arctic  Boat  Journey  in  1854,  etc.     I.  I.  Hayes.     Boston. 

"  The  Career,  Last  Voyage,  and  Fate  of  Sir  J.  Franklin.     S.  Osborn. 

"  On  the  Lost  Polar  Expedition,  etc.     W.  P.  Snow. 

"  A  Sequel  to  the  Northwest  Passage.     J.  Brown. 

1861.  Seasons  with  the  Sea-horses ;  Spitzbergen.     J.  Lamont. 

"       Physical  Geography  of  the  Sea.     Lieutenant  Maury.     Enlarged  Edition.    London 
and  New  York. 

1863.  Jfotice  sur  les  Peches  du  Groenland.     C.  Irminger. 

"       Geografiska  Ortobestammningar  pa  Spetsbergen  af  Professor  A.  E.  Nordenskiold, 

etc.     D.  C.  Lindhagen. 
"       Geografisk  och  Geognostisk  Beskrifning  ofver  Nordostra  Delarne  af  Spetsbergen, 

A.  E.  Nordenskiold. 

1864.  Renseignements  sur  les  Premiers  Habitants  de  la  Cote  Occidentale  du  Groenland, 

etc.     C.  C.  Rafn. 
"       Life  with  the  Eskimos,  etc.,  Frobisher  Bay  and  Davis  Strait.     C.  F.  Hall. 
1867.     The  Open  Polar  Sea,  etc. ;  Smith's  Sound.     Dr.  J.  J.  Hayes. 
"       TJeber  die  Polarliinder.     O.  Heer. 
"       Gronland  und  die  Gronlander,  etc.     H.  Helms. 

"       The  Three  Voyages  of  Martin  Frobisher;  by  Rear  Admiral  R.  Collinson.     London. 
(Hakluyt  Series.) 
1869.     Fate  of  Sir  J.  Franklin.     The  Voyage  of  the  "Fox"  in  the  Arctic  Seas,  etc.; 
Parry  Islands.     Sir  F.  L.  McClintock. 
"       The  Polar  World.     Dr.  G.  Hartwig.     8vo.     Harper  Brothers,  New  York. 
1871.     Land  of  Desolation;  South  Greenland.    Dr.  Hayes. 

1873.  Tlie  Threshold  of  the  Unknown  Regions.    Notices  of  Arctic  Discovery;  East  Coast 

of  Greenland,  etc.     Clements  R.  Markham. 
"       Gateway  to  the  Polynia;  Spitzbergen.     J.C.Wells.    London. 

1874.  Whaling  Cruise  to  Baffin's  Bay,  and  Rescue  of  the  Crew  of  the  "  Polaris  " ;  Baffin's 

Bay  and  Southeast  Parry  Islands.     H.  A.  Markham. 
"       Die  Zweite  Deutsche  Nordpolarfahrt.     The  German  Arctic  Expedition  of  1869-70, 

under  Koldewey;  and  Translation  by  H.  Bates. 
"       TheGerman  Arctic  Expedition  of  1869-70;  the  Hansa.    Captain  Koldewey.    Edited 

by  H.  W.  Bates,  Assistant  Secretary  Royal  Geographical  Society,  London. 
"       A  Whaling  Cruise  to  Baffin's  Bay  and  the  Gulf  of  Boothia.  A.  H.  Markham,  London. 

1875.  A  Selection  of  Papers  on  Arctic  Geography  and  Ethnology,  Reprinted  and  Pre- 

sented to  the  Arctic  Expedition  of  1875.     London. 
"       Instructions  for  the  use  of    the  Scientific  Expedition  to  the  Arctic    Regions. 

London. 
"       The  Arctic  Navy  List,  or  A  Century  of  Arctic  and  Antarctic  Officers,  1773-1873. 

C.  R.  Markham,  F.  R.  S. 
"       Remarks  on  Davis  Strait,  Baffin's  Bay,  Smith's  Sound.     Compiled  from  Various 

Authorities. 
"       Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  Eskimos,  with  a  Sketch  of  their  Habits,  Religion,  Lan- 
guage,  and  other  Peculiarities,  by  Dr.  Henry  Rink.     Edited  by  Dr.   Robert 

Brown,  London. 
"       Report  to  United  States  Treasury  Department  on  the  Condition  of  Affairs  in  the 

Territory  of  Alaska.     H.  W.  Elliott. 

1876.  Narrative  of  the  North  Polar  Expedition.     United  States'  Ship  "Polaris,"  Captain 

Chas.  F.  Hall,  Commander;  by  Rear-Admiral  C.  H.  Davis,  United  States  Navy. 

Imperial  8vo.     Published  by  the  Navy  Department ;  edition  exhausted. 
"       Two  Voyages  of  the  "  Pandora,"  in  1875  and  1876,  by  Sir  Allen  Young,  R.  N.  R. 
"       Yachting  in  the  Arctic  Seas.     J.  Lamont,  F.  K.  G.  S. 


APPENDIX.  5<i9 

1876.  Under  the  Northern  Lights.     The  Cruise  of  the  "  Pandora";  by  J.  A.  McGahan. 

London. 
"       Memoirs  of  Hans  Hendrick,  the  Arctic  Traveller.    Written  by  himself.    1853-1876. 
Translated  by  Dr.  Rink. 

1877.  Danish  Greenland.     Dr.  Henry  Rink.     Edited  by  Dr.  K.  Brown.  Ix>ndon. 

"       New  Lands  Within  the  Arctic  Circle.     The  Voyage  of  the  "  Tegethoff."     1872-74. 

Julius  Payer.     2  vols.  8vo.     D.  Appleton.  New  York. 
"       Arctic  Expeditions  from  British  and  Foreign  Shores,  from  the  I':arliest  Times  to 
the  Expeditions  of  1875-70;  by  D.  Murray  Smith.  F.  K.  G.  S.     4lo.     Edinburgh. 
*•       The  Dutch  in  the  Arctic  Seas.     Samuel  R.  Van  Campen,  Ixjndon. 

1878.  The  English  Arctic  Expedition  of  1875.     Captain  Nares.     (Parliamenlarj-  Paper. 

C.  2176.) 
"       Voyage  to  the  Open  Polar  Sea.     Captain  Sir  Geo.  Nares,  R.  N.     2  vols.,  8vo. 
"       The  Shores  of  the  Polar  Sea;  a  Narrative  of  the  Arctic  Expedition  1875-1876.    Dr. 

E.  L.  Moss,  Her  Majesty's  Ship  '*  Alert."     Imperial  folio,  London. 
"       The  Great  Frozen  Sea;  the  Voyage  of  tlie '"Alert."     Captain  A.  H.  Markham. 

R,  N. 

1879.  The  Two  Voyages  of  the  "  Pandora,"  in  1875  and  1876.     Sir  Allen  Young. 

"       Narrative  of  the  Second  Arctic  Expedition  made  by  Chas.  F".  Hall.     Professor  J. 

E.  Nourse,  U.  S.  N.     Published  by  United  States  Senate;  edition  exhausted. 
"       Arctic  Experiences  of  Captain  Geo.  E.  Tyson;  the  "Polaris."      Edited  by  E.  V. 

Blake.     Harper  Brothers,  New  York. 
"       The  Cruise  of  the  "Florence."     Bulletin  of  the  United  States'  National  Museum; 

by  Ludwig  Kiimlien. 
"      Report  upon  the  Customs  District,  Public  Service,  and  Resources  of  Alaska;  by 

W.  G.  Morris.     8vo.     Washington. 
"       The  Arctic  Voyages  of  Adolf  Erik  Nordenskiold.    Illustrated.    1858-79.    McMillan 

&Co. 

1880.  Report  on  Alaska  and  its  People.     Captain  G.  W.  Bailey,  of  the  Revenue  Cutter 

"  Rush." 

1881.  A  Polar  Reconnoissance ;  being  the  Voyage  of  the  "  Isbjorn"  to  Novaya  Zembla, 

in  1879.     A.  H.  Markham,  F.  R.  G.  S. 

"  The  Voyage  of  the  "  Vega"  round  Asia  and  Europe.  A.  E.  Nordenskiold.  Trans- 
lated by  A.  Leslie.     2  vols.,  8vo.     London. 

"  Reports  of  the  Cruises  of  the  United  States  Revenue  Steamer  "  Corwin."  1880  and 
1881,  in  the  Arctic  Ocean.     Hooper,  Muir,  Nelson  &  Ros.se. 

1882.  Reports  of  Captain  L.  A.  Beardslee,  U.  S.  N.  :   Operations  of  the  "  Jamestown  " 

in  the  Waters  of  Alaska. 
"      Alaska;  by  Sheldon  Jackson,  D.  D. 

"       Report  of  Affairs  in  Alaska;  by  L.  A.  Beardslee.     8vo.     Wa.slilngton. 
"       Nordenskiold's   Voyage   round    Asia  and    Europe;  the    "  \'«';.:.-».""      \.   Hovgaanl, 

London. 

1883.  The  Voyage  of  the  "  Jeannette."      The  Ship  and  lee  Journals  of  (^-orire  W.  De- 

Long,  Lieutenant  Commander,  U.  S.  N.,  and  Comuian.ierof  tlie  Polar  Expedition 

of  1879-1881.     Edited  by  his  wife,  Emma  DeLong.     Ilowgliton.  Milflin  A  Co. 
"       The  Jeannette,  and  a  Complete  Encyclopa?di:i  of  all  Voyages  an.l  Exjxtlitions  to 

the  North  Pole.     Captain  R.  Perrj-.      Newman  and  Coburn  Publishin?("orapany, 

Chicago. 
"       Narrative  of  the  "Jeannette."  Lieutenant  Danenhower,  U.  S.  N.    J.  K.  <  >*j:oo«1  AC 
"       Proceedings  of  a  Court  of  Inquiry,  Convened  at   the  Navy  Department.  Washing 

ton,  D.  C,  October  5,  to  Investigate  the  Loss  in  the  Ar'-tic  Seas  of  the  Exploring 

Steamer  "Jeannette." 


570  APPENDIX. 

1883.  Work  of  the  Signal  Service  in  the  Arctic  Regions.    Signal  Service  Notes  No.  V. 
"       Report  on  Lady  Franklin  Bay  Expedition.     Signal  Service  Notes  No.  X. 

"       Meteorological  and  Physical  Observations  on  the  East  Coast  of   British  America, 
by  Orray  Taft  Sherman.     Professional  Papers  of  the  Signal  Service,  No.  XI. 

1884.  American  Explorations  in  the  Ice  Zones,  1850-1882;  by  Professor  J.  E.  Nourse, 

U.  S.  N.     D.  Lothrop  &  Co  ,  Boston. 

For  the  chief  scientific  reviews  of  the  labors  of  Arctic  explorers  see  journals,  bulletins, 
and  reports  of  the  American  and  foreign  Societies,  especially  those  of  the  Ainerican 
Geographical  Society,  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  the  American  Journal  of  Science,  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  the  Societe  de  Geographic  of  Paris,  and  the  bulletins  of  the 
Imperial  Geographical  Societies  of  Russia,  Sweden,  and  Holland.  References  to  the 
volumes  of  these  which  contain  Arctic  material  will  be  found  generally  in  full  in  the 
"Die  Literatur  iiber  die  Polar  Regionem  der  Erde,"  von  Drs.  Josef  Chavanne,  A.  Karpf 
and  F.  R.  LeMonnier,  Wien,  1674.  For  a  synopsis  of  the  work  of  each  American  explorer 
under  commission  by  the  United  States  Government,  see  Reports  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  the  Secretary  of  ,War,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 


7 


INDEX. 


AcTKA,  visited  by  the  Fenimore  Cooper  in  search  of  the  Monongahela,  117 

Advance,  tlie,  equipped  by  Grinnell,  49;  sails  from  New  York,  50;  crosses  Melville  Bay, 
54;  reaches  Beechey  Island,  55;  returns  to  New  York,  59;  loaned  to  Kane.  a5; 
equipped,  68;  in  Rensselaer  harbor,  71;  abandoned.  SS. 

Agloo,  or  Igloo  seal,  195. 

Aglooka  (Crozier),  described  to  Hall,  248. 

Albatross  of  the  North  Pacific,  505;  of  the  Antarctic,  506. 

Allen,  William,  letter  to  Thomas  Penn,  27. 

Alliance,  the  cruise  of,  485. 

Ambler,  J.  M.,  surgeon  of  the  Jeannette,  382;  describes  Bennett  Island.  401. 

American  early  voyages  for  Northwest  Passage,  24. 

American  explorations,  table  of,  527;  beneficial  results,  558. 

Amoukta  Passage  the,  examined  by  Brooke,  Fillebrown,  and  Knorr,  129. 

Andromeda  Tetragona,  72. 

Angekos,  and  Ankooting,  196,  216,  245. 

Antarctic  zone,  compared  with  Arctic,  18,  491;  discoveries  in  by  Palmer.  494;  by  Wilkc*. 
508;  by  Ross,  513;  by  D'Urville,  514;  ice  within,  522,  524. 

Antisell,  Dr.,  on  the  Kuro  Si  wo,  3/08. 

Arctic  exploration,  the  field  of,  17;  original  object,  20;  beneficial  results.  20.  .Vi5;  De- 
Haven's,  41;  Kane's,  65;  Rodgers',  108;  Hayes.  132;  Hall's  first,  161;  secontl.  199; 
third,  269;  Schwatka's,  ;>45;  DeLong's,  36:i;  Hooper's,  428;  Long's,  458;  liaynor's, 
463;  Berry's,  473;  Wadleigh'8,485;  table  of,  527.  ^ 

Arctic  night,  described  by  Hayes,  144;  by  DeLong,  393.        {^A^*^i--ff  i-^^  ' 

Argo,  the  voyage  of  ( 17537,  'z^.  ' 

Auroras  seen  by  Hall,  239,  241;  by  Mauch,  300,  :J09;  by  Powell.  556. 

Baser,  G.  F.,  Midshipman,  lost  at  sea,  112. 

Bache,  A.  D.,  Superintendent  Coast  Survey,  aids  the  Grinnell  expedition,  60.  65;  endorMS 

Arctic  exploration,  526. 
Baker's  death,  76. 
Barrow,  Sir  John,  revives  Arctic  exploration,  30;  sends  out  a  tablet  in  mcmor>-  of  BHIot. 

57;  endorses  Arctic  exploration,  529. 
Barrow  Point,  meteorological  station  at,  558. 

Beechey  Island,  visited  by  Dellaven,  .56;  visit  attempted  by  Kane,  78. 
Bennett,  James  G.,  purchases  the  Pamlora,  .364;  interview  with  Dr.  Pf-termann.  065;  teiuU 

Jackson  to  search  for  DeLong,  407;  Bennett  Island  discovere«l.  400. 
Bering  Strait,  voyage  to  by  Cook,  23. 
Berry's,  R.  M.,  Lieutenant,  search  for  DeLong,  473,  527. 
Bessels,  E.,  sails  with  Hall,  270;  pendulum  observations.  307. 

571 


572  INDEX. 

Bliss,  S.  J.,  Acting  Lieutenant,  lost  at  sea,  112. 

Boats,  the  tliree,  leave  Bennett's  Island,  402;  Semenovski  Island  403. 

Boggs,  W.  B.,  Purser  on  the  Vincennes,  HI. 

Bonsall,  Amos,  sledge  party  under  Kane,  73. 

Braine,  D.  L.,  Captain,  sails  for  relief  of  Hall,  325;  returns  to  New  York,  326. 

Bridge,  W.  K.,  Acting  Lieutenant,  lost  at  sea,  112. 

Brooke,  John  M.,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.,  on  the. Vincennes,  111;  notes  of  the  loss  of  the 

Porpoise,  113;  survey  on  the  Japanese  coast,  114;  deep  sea  sounding  apparatus,  118; 

notes  at  Semiavlne  Straits,  123. 
Brooks,  Henry,  second  officer  of  the  Rescue,  47. 
Budlngton,  S.  O.,  sails  with  Hall,  270;  commands  the  Polaris,  298;  fails  to  get  North, 

312;  rescued  by  the  Ravenscraig,  329. 

Cabots,  the  voyages  of  the,  21. 

Capes,  Alexander,  84,  93;  Athol,  137;  Beechey,  57;  Constitution,  96;  East,  124;  Fare- 
well, 53;  Independence,  96;  Isabella,  78;  Lleber,  148;  Lisburne,  433;  Riley,  57;  Sabine, 
542;  Serdze  Kamen,  377,  451;  Spencer,  56;  Union,  147;  York,  136,  326. 

Carter,  R.  R.,  Passed  Midshipman,  U.  S.  N.,  on  the  Rescue,  47. 

Chandler,  W.  E.,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  telegram  to  by  Melville,  413;  orders  to  Danen- 
hower,  414;  to  Harber,  418;  convenes  Relief  Board,  563. 

Chapell,  R.  H.,  assists  Hall,  205. 

Chester,  H.  C,  lands  Hall,  209;  sails  on  the  Polaris,  279;  boat  journey,  310. 

Chipp,  C.  W.,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.,  Naval  Record,  374;  attempts  landing  on  Herald 
Island,  380;  aurora  seen  by,  394;  on  sick  list,  397;  commands  second  cutter,  402; 
searched  for  by  Melville,  416 ;  by  Harber,  418. 

Clay,  Henry,  Hon.,  presents  the  Grlnnell  memorial,  46. 

Clayton,  John,  Secretary  of  State,  letter  to  Lady  Franklin,  42. 

Coast  survey.  United  States,  aids  Kane's  expedition,  65;  aids  Dr.  Hayes'  expedition,  133. 

Collins,  Jerome,  Jr.,  meteorologist  of  the  Jeannette,  373. 

Conger  Fort,  537. 

Congress,  United  States,  resolution  for  DeHaven's  expedition,  44;  appropriations  for  relief 
of  Kane,  86;  for  Ringgold's  expedition,  108;  for  Hall's  third  expedition,  269. 

Cook,  James,  Captain,  Arctic  voyage,  23;  Antarctic  voyage,  492,  519. 

Cooper,  J.  Fenimore,  the,  109. 

Corwin,  revenue  steamer,  the,  sails  in  search  of  the  whalers  and  DeLong,  429 ;  second 
search,  447;  officers  of,  448. 

Currents  of  the  Arctic,  local  only,  368. 

Dall,  W.  H.,  coast  survey  on  the  Kuro  Slwo,  367. 

Danenhower,  J.,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.,  joins  DeLong  at  Havre,  365;  placed  on  sick  list, 
383;  search  for  Del^ong,  407;  returns  to  United  States,  408. 

Davenport,  Captain,  U.  S.  N.,  commands  the  Congress,  275. 

Davis,  Jefferson,  objects  to  Arctic  appropriations,  47. 

Davis',  John,  voyages,  22. 

DeHaven,  E.  J.,  Lieutenant,  commands  first  Grlnnell  expedition,  47;  instructions  of  the 
department  to,  48;  drift  in  Wellington  Channel,  59;  final  report  to  Navy  Department, 
55;  commendation  by  Secretary  of  Navy,  61. 

DeKraft,  J.  C  P.,  Commodore's  chart  of  Bering  Sea  and  North  Pacific,  115. 

DeLong,  G.  W.,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.,  naval  record,  363;  proposes  an  Arctic  exploration, 
364;  chooses  the  Bering  Strait  route,  365;  errs  In  this,  367;  sails  from  San  Francisco, 
373;  visits  Cape  Serdze  Kamen  for  Nordensklofd,  377;  enters  the  pack,  378;  abandons 
theory,  388;  discovers  Jeannette  and  Henrietta  Island,  396;  abandons  the  Jeannette, 


INDEX.  573 

398;  discovers  Bennett  Island,  400;  lands  on  Semenovski  Island,  403;  on  the  Delta, 

409;  last  journal  notes,  411;  buried  by  Melville,  414;  his  tomb  visited  by  Harber,  42U; 

brought  to  United  States,  427. 
Diligence,  voyage  of  the,  25. 
Disco,  visited   by   Dellaven,  59;  by  Hartstene  rescuing  Kane,  91;  by  Braine,  325;   by 

Greer,  326;  by  the  Neptune,  546;  by  the  Yantic  and  the  Proteus,  548. 
Dobbin,  Secretary,  instructions  to  Hartstene,  91. 
Dogs,  Eskimo,  disease  of,  253. 

EiUEKBixG  (Joe),  first  met  by  Hall,  176;  seal  hunts,  230;  history  of,  340;  accompanies 

Hall,  second  expedition,  206. 
Elder's,  Dr.,  biography  of  Kane,  51. 
Eothen,  the,  sails  from  New  York,  347. 

Erebus  and  Terror,  visit  to  Tasmania,  31 ;  sailing  for  Northwest  Passage,  32. 
Eskimos  or  Innults,  first  met  by  Hall,  176;  Armon,  Artooa,  and  Ouela,  210,  212;  Armon's 

coast  line,  243;  feasts  of,  215;  games.  216;  Eskimos  of  Etah,  82,  89;  of  the  Northwest 

coast,  440. 
Expeditions,  Arctic,  Cabot's,  21;  Davis',  Hudson's,  and  Baffin's,  22;  the  Ai^oand  Diligence, 

25;  the  Trent,  31;  Franklin's,  32;  for  relief  of  Franklin,  tables  of,  35,  37;  Dellaven's, 

41;  Kane's,  65;  Rodgers',  108;  Hayes',  132;  Hall's,  162,  199,  269;  Schwatka's,  345; 

DeLong's,  363;   Hooper's,  438;    Long's,   460;    Raynor's,   463;    Berrj's,  473;    Wad- 

leigh's,  485. 

FiLLEBROwx,  T.  S.,  Lieutenant,  on  the  Yincennes,  and  naval  record,  111;  observa- 
tions, 122. 

Florence,  the  cruise  of,  535. 

Folger,  W.  J. ,  Secretary  of  Treasury,  tribute  to  Rodgers,  1 15. 

Foulke  Fort,  Hayes'  winter  quarters,  137. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  Dr.,  secures  a  voyage  for  Northwest  Passage,  25. 

Franklin,  Sir  John,  early  life,  30;  voyage  on  the  Trent,  31;  journeys  to  North  coast  of 
America,  31;  last  expedition,  32;  relief  expeditions  for,  35;  monument  in  Waterloo 
Place,  39;  in  Westminster  Abbey,  40:  discovers  Northwest  Passage,  3St.  266. 

Franklin,  Lady  J.,  letters  to  President  Taylor,  41;  monument  to  Sir  John  at  Beecbej 
Island,  57;  invites  Kane  to  make  explorations,  68. 

Franklin  expedition,  records  found  by  Hobson,  162;  relics  of,  38. 

Frobisher's,  Martin,  shorter  route  to  Cathay,  21;  three  voyages,  186;  relics  of  brought 
home  by  Hall,  203;  Admiral  CoUinson's  voyages  of,  203. 

FjSe,  J.  P.,  Lieutenant,  attached  to  the  Relief,  91. 

Geographical  Society,  American,  receives  Kane,  66;  receives  Hall,  165. 

Gilder,  W.  H.,  visits  the  Kinnepatoos,  349;  sledge  journey  with  Schwatka,  3.'>8;  »ums  up 

the  results  of  the  expedition,  360. 
Glacier,   Great,   of  Greenland,  visited  by  Kane,  76,  102;   system  di.scoisod   by   Hay*-*, 
7  153. 

Glassenapp,  observing  party  from  the  Vincennes  located  on,  121. 

Godhavn,  visited  by  Kane,  89;  by  Hall,  71;  by  the  Florence,  530;  by  the  Proteus.  ">;&<. 

Graves,  the  three  found  on  Beechey  Island,  56. 

Greenland,  Northern  extension  of,  67,  95,  97. 

Greer,  J,  A.,  Commander,  sails  for  relief  of  Hall,  324;  returns  to  New  York.  ;I2T. 

Greely's,  A.  W.,  Lieutenant,  expetiition  to  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  5:37. 

Grier,  Wm.,  Fleet  Surgeon  to  exploring  expedition,  111. 

Griffin.  S.  P.,  U.  S.  N..  commands  the  Rescue,  47. 


574  INDEX. 

Grinnell  Land,  discovered  by  DeHaven,  60;  East  coast  of  Grinnell  Land  discovered  by 
Kane,  96 ;  traced  by  Hayes,  132. 

Grinnell,  Henry,  visit  to  by  Lady  Franklin,  44;  memorial  to  Congress,  45;  equips  the  Ad- 
vance and  the  Rescue,  49;  fits  out  the  Advance  for  Kane,  65;  presentation  of  vase  to 
Kane,  104;  aid  to  Hall's  first  expedition  and  second  expedition,  205. 

Habersham,  A.  W.,  Lieutenant,  on  the  loss  of  the  Porpoise,  112. 

Hall,  C.  F.,  early  Arctic  studies,  162;  sails  on  his  first  expedition,  167;  at  Cyrus  Field's 
Bay,  174;  discovers  Frobisher's  relics,  182;  returns  to  United  States,  198;  sails  on 
second  expedition,  206;  at  Marble  Island,  209;  captures  a  whale,  233;  at  Fort  Hope, 
235;  first  journey  to  King  William  Land,  244;  to  Igloolik,  250;  to  Cape  Weynton, 
252;  to  Fury  and  Hecla  Strait,  256;  reaches  King  William  Land,  261;  sails  in  the 
Polaris,  270;  last  sledge  journey,  293;  despatch  to  Secretary  of  Navy,  295;  death,  297; 
character,  331;  medal  from  Geographical  Society  of  Paris,  333;  tablet  erected  by 
Nares,  338. 

Hancock,  the  steamer,  109. 

Harber,  G.  B.,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.,  sent  out  for  the  bodies  of  DeLong  and  his  comrades, 
407;  report  to  Secretary  Chandler,  423;  return  to  the  United  States,  427. 

Hartstene,  H.  J.,  commands  the  relief  ship  for  Dr.  Kane,  87;  naval  record,  91;  brings 
Kane  to  New  York,  91. 

Hayes,  Isaac  I.,  Dr.,  surgeon  of  the  Advance,  68;  explorations  with  Kane,  77;  commands 
the  expedition  of  1860,  132;  crosses  Melville  Bay,  136;  winters  at  Port  Foulke,  137; 
reaches  Cape  Lieber,  147;  discussion  on  "the  open  Polar  Sea,"  149;  on  the  Glaciers, 
153;  returns  to  the  United  States,  156;  receives  medals,  158. 

Hazen,  W.  B.,  General,  U.  S.  A.,  co-operates  with  International  Polar  Commission,  634; 
instructions  to  Greely,  538;  to  Ray,  552. 

Hendrick,  Hans,  joins  Kane,  69;  journey  with  Hayes,  72;  account  of  Sonntag's  death,  140; 
joins  the  Polaris,  275;  his  own  narrative,  141. 

Henrietta  and  Jeannette  Islands  discovered  by  DeLong,  395. 

Henry,  Joseph,  Professor,  aids  the  second  Grinnell  expedition,  65;  endorses  Arctic  ex- 
plorations, 526,  528,  534. 

Herald  Island  visited  by  Kellett,  453;  by  Rodgers,  125;  by  DeLong,  379;  by  Hooper,  453; 
by  Berry,  477. 

Holsteinborg  visited  by  DeHaven,  59;  by  Hall,  168;  by  McClintock,  169. 

Hooper,  C.  L.,  Captain,  Revenue  Marine  Steam  Cutter,  first  cruise,  429. 

Hudson,  W.  L.,  Lieutenant,  commands  the  Peacock,  500;  land  seen  by,  509. 

Hunt,  W.,  Secretary  of  Navy,  convenes  Relief  Board  for  DeLong,  474;  telegram  to  Mel- 
ville, 413;  to  Harber,  408. 

Hydrographic  Office,  United  States,  charts  of  the  Arctic  sea,  115. 

Ice  of  the  Arctic  described  by  Hooper,  439;  by  Powell,  555. 
Ice  of  the  Antarctic  described  by  Wilkes,  522. 
Icebergs  met  by  Kane,  62,  70;  by  Hayes,  134;  by  Hall,  172. 
Irving,  Lieutenant,  R.  N.,  grave  discovered  by  Schwatka,  353. 

Jeannette,  the,  purchased  by  Mr.  Bennett,  364;  brought  round  the  Horn,  365;  equipped 
at  San  Francisco,  372;  officers'  roll,  373;  reaches  Cape  Serdze  Kamen,  377;  in  the 
pack,  378;  zigzag  course  northwest,  388;  crushed,  398. 

Juniata,  the,  sails'  for  relief  of  Hall,  324. 

Kane,  E.  K.,  Dr.,  surgeon  of  the  first  Grinnell  expedition,  47;  naval  record,  48;  surgeon 
to  United  States  Embassy,  China,  51;  in  Mexico,  52;  joins  DeHaven,  47;  notes  of 


INDEX.  575 

geographical  discovery,  60;  commands  second  Grinnell  expedition,  68;  in  Reniiselaer 
Harbor,  73;  explores  the  Great  Glacier,  76,  1)5;  fails  to  reach  Beechey  Island,  81; 
rescued  by  Hartstene,  89;  report  to  Secretary  of  Navy,  95;  grapliic  sketches,  62,  100, 
102;  receives  medals  from  Royal  Geographical  Society  and  Paris  Geograpliical  Society, 
105;   death,  105. 

Kane,  John  P.,  Dr.,  describes  the  navigation  of  Melville  Bay,  92. 

Kennedy  (Channel,  Kane's  exploration,  87. 

Kennedy,  .J.  P.,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  aids  Kane,  67. 

Kern,  E.  W.,  artist,  110. 

Key-low-tik  and  Ken-toon  performers,  217. 

Kislingbury,  F.  F.,  Lieutenant,  of  Franklin  Bay  Expedition,  537,  541. 

Knovr,  E.  R.,  assistant  draughtsman  on  the  Vincennes,  122;  observations  on  the  cruise,  129. 

Kiinilien,  Mr.,  naturaiist  of  the  Florence,  536. 

Kuro  Siwo,  tlie  waning  influence  of,  367. 

Lady  Fkanklin  Bay,  station  at,  537. 

Lesseps,  M.  Ferd.,  de.  President  Socidte  de  Geographic,  address  on  presenting  the  medal 

to  Schwatka,  3G1. 
Littleton  Island,  visited  by  Kane,  70;  by  Hartstene,  94;  by  the  Proteus,  541. 
Lockwooil,  James  B.,  Lieutenant  of  Franklin  Bay  expedition,  537,  541,  544. 
Long,  Thomas,  first  visits  Wrangell  Land,  460. 
Lovell,  W.  J.,  Midsliipman,  U.  S.  N.,  attached  to  first  Grinnell  expedition,  47;  to  the 

relief  ship  Rescue,  91. 

Maury,  M.  F.,  assists  first  Grinnell  expedition,  44;  the  second  expedition,  65;  endorses 
the  object  of  Arctic  expeditions,  525,  .561, 

McClintock,  Sir  Leopold,  R.  N.,  crossing  the  North  water,  54. 

Medals  awarded  to  Kane,  la");  to  Hayes,  158;  to  Hall,  .3:33;  to  Schwatka,  362. 

Melville,  G.  \V.,  Chief  Engineer,  naval  recor.l,  .379;  letter  from  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  376; 
boat  journey  to  Herald  Island,  ;i80;  to  Henrietta  Island,  396;  ri?s  a  windmill  pump, 
387;  comnian.ls  the  whaleboat,  400;  searches  for  DeLon:;.  413;  for  Lieutenant  Clilpp, 
410;  returns  to  United  States,  418;  i-eceive?  a  letter  from  General  TchemaiefT,  427. 

Melville  Bay,  crossing  of,  by  Dellaven,  .54;  by  Kane.  70;  by  Hayes.  136;  by  McClintock,  138. 

Meteorolotjical  Stations,  imilcr  the  International  Commission,  531-53.5. 

Miller,  Senator,  advocates  first  Grinnell  expedition,  46. 

Morton,  William,  reports  an  open  Polar  sea.  77. 

Mount  Wollaston  and  the  Vigilant,  search  for.  by  Hooper,  4.32. 

Muir,  John,  Professor,  exploration  of  Heralrl  Island,  454,  4.56. 

Munlaugh,  W.,  passed  Midshipman  on  the  .\dvance,  48. 

Museum,  National,  the,  collections  received  by,  517,  527. 

Musk  ox,  capture  of,  264. 

Nakes,  Captain  George,  R.  N.,  commends  Hans,  69. 

Naval  Officers'  Record  of  first  Grinnell  ex{)edition  of  relief  ships  for  Kane,  91;  of  the  Vin- 
cennes, 111;  of  DeLong's  expedition,  476;  of  Wilkes*,  496. 

Neptune,  cruise  of  the,  545. 

Kichul,  W.  L.,  Assistant  Sai^eon  Vincennes,  111. 

Nindemann  and  Noros  sent  forward  by  DeLong,  412. 

North  Water,  tl«c  crossing  of,  .W,  KJO. 

Northwest  P.ossagc,  ori-iu  of  the  problem  of.  21;  attempts  for  by  Cabot.  Vcrraxani, 
Cartier,  Davis,  Hudson,  and  Baffin,  22;  by  Cook,  2.};  by  the  Argo  and  the  DUigence, 
25,  2G;  by  Franklin,  33;  by  the  rcUef  shijM,  35. 


576  INDEX. 

Observatoky,  Astronomical,  Kane's,  73. 

Osbom,  Admiral,  R.  N.,  commends  DeHaven,  50;  endorses  Arctic  exploration,  409. 

Palmeb's  Land,  494. 

Pavy,  O.,  Dr.,  Assistant  Surgeon  of  Station  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  537,  541,  54.3. 

Peabody,  Mr.,  of  London,  contributes  to  second  Grinnell  expedition.  65. 

Pendulum,  Dr.  E.  Bessels',  306. 

Penguins,  505. 

Pennsylvania  Historical  Society,  the  Penn  papers,  27. 

Petropolovski  visited  by  the  Vincennes,  116. 

Phipps,  Captain,  voyage,  23. 

Polaris,  the,  sails  from  New  London,  270;  reaches  82°  16',  280;  drift  of,  284;  anchored, 

286;  attempts  to  go  north,  312;  carried  from  the  floe,  31G;  abandoned,  327;  sunken,  226. 
Polar,  open  sea,  the,  advocated  by  Maury,  49;    reported  seen  by  Morton,  79;    Kane's 

judgment  of  it,  98;  Hayes'  discussion,  149;  Nares',  151. 
Pole,  the  North,  voyages  for,  21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  34. 
Porpoise,  the  brig,  loss  of,  112. 
Potts,  S.  J.,  Jr.,  lost  at  sea,  112. 

Preston,  Secretary  of  Navy,  instructions  to  DeHaven,  48. 
Proteus,  the  voyage  of,  1881,  538;  of  1883,  548;  crushed,  549. 
Proven  visited  by  DeHaven,  59. 
Putnam,  C.  F.,  U.  S.  N.,  476,  483. 

Ravensckaig,  the,  rescues  the  i^olaris  party,  327. 

Ray,  P.  H.,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  A.,  station  at  Point  Barrow,  547,  552. 

Raynor,  G.  W.,  visits  Wrangell  Land,  464. 

Reily,  W.,  Acting  Lieutenant,  lost  at  sea,  112. 

Reindeer  seen  by  Schwatka,  356. 

Relief  ship  for  Kane,  the  Release  and  the  Arctic  under  Hartstene  and  Simms,  86,  88,  91. 

Rensselaer  Harbor,  the  Advance  moored  in,  71 :  visited  by  Hayes,  72. 

Rescue,  the,  loaned  by  Grinnell  to  DeHaven,  47;  wrecked,  174. 

Resolutions  by  United  States  Congress  for  DeHaven' s  expedition,  44;  for  relief  of  Dr. 
Kane,  86. 

Rewards  by  United  States  to  natives  at  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  484 ;  by  the  Czar  to  the  Isprav- 
niks  and  natives  who  assisted  Melville,  427- 

Ringgold,  Cadwalader,  commands  the  exploring  expedition  of  1853,  108;  returns  to  United 
States  on  sick  leave.  111. 

Robeson,  Geo.,  instructions  to  Hall,  271;  Robeson  Channel  named  by  Hall,  280;  exam- 
ined, 288. 

Rodgers,  John,  Lieutenant,  exploration  in  the  Arctic  Seas,  108,  131 ;  sails  in  the  Han- 
cock, 109;  succeeds  to  the  command  of  exploring  expedition,  111;  surveys  North  Pacific, 
114;  Northern  cruise,  116;  sails  over  the  reported  position  of  Plover  Island,  125;  ap- 
proaches Wrangell  Land,  128;  returns  to  San  Franqisco,  129;  report  not  published, 
114,  131. 

Rodgers,  the  cruise  of,  473;  burned,  482. 

Roe,  F.  A.,  Commodore,  Lieutenant  on  the  Vincennes,  and  naval  record,  111. 

Ross,  James,  Captain,  receives  Wilkes'  chart,  513;  commendation  of  Wilkes,  516. 

Rosse,  Dr.,  surgeon  of  the  Corwin,  notes  of  optical  illusions,  438. 

Russell,  J.  H.,  Captain,  Lieutenant  on  the  Vincennes,  and  naval  record,  111;  boat  land- 
ing at  Glassenapp,  119;  astronomical  observations,  121. 

St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  visited  by  DeHaven  and  Kane,  68. 


INDEX.  57Y 

St.  Lawrence  Island,  visited  by  Rodgers,  119;  by  Hooper,  4.30;  and  by  DeLong,  376. 

Schoonmaker,  C.  M.,  Commander,  brings  the  floe  party  to  Washington,  ;}2.'J. 

Schott,  C.  A.,  discusses  Kane's  observations,  74;  Hayes',  137. 

Schubert's  death,  76. 

Schuetze,  Master,  sent  out  for  the  bodies  of  DeLong  and  officers,  407. 

Schwatka,  F.,  Lieutenant,  sails  from  New  York,  347;  crosses  the  Wager  and  Hack  river, 

351;  finds  Hall's  cairn,  352;  finds  Lieutenant  Irving's  remains,  353;  explores  King 

William  Land,  354;  sledge  journey  of,  356;  return  to  United  States,  360;  receives  the 

Koquette  medal,  362. 
Scientific  corps  of  the  North  Polar  expedition  of  1871,  of  Wilkes'  expedition,  496. 
Scoresby,  Captain,  reports  of  open  water  in  the  Arctic,  30. 
Sea,  an  open  Polar,  advocated  by  Maury,  49;  by  Kane,  68,  97;  by  Hayes,  149;  denied  by 

Richards,  151 ;  by  Nares,  152. 
Seals,  mode  of  capturing  described  by  Hall,  194;  United  States  revenue  from  Alaska,  560. 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  Preston's  instructions  to  DeHaven,  48. 

"  "        "      Kennedy's  insti-uctions  to  Kane,  68. 

"  "        "      Dobbin's  instructions  to  Hartslene,  91. 

"  "        "      Toucey's  report  on  the  cruise  of  the  Vincennes,  114. 

"  "        "      Thompson's  instractions  to  DeLong,  369. 

"  "        "      Chandler  convenes  Relief  Board,  563. 

Semiavine  Strait,  128. 

Seward,  Senator,  advocates  Grinnell  expedition,  46. 
Sherman,  O.  T.,  meteorologist  of  the  Florence,  636. 
Sherman,  Secretary,  instructions  to  Hooper,  429. 
Shock's,  Commodore,  truss,  382. 

Simms,  C.  C,  Lieutenant,  (Commands  the  Arctic;  naval  record,  91;  visits  Cape  Alex- 
ander, 93. 
Skin  scraping  by  Sek-Koons,  220. 
Smithsonian  Institutior^  aid  to  Kane's  expedition,  67;  publication  of  Kane's  results,  74; 

aid  to  Hayes'  expedition,  133;  publication  of  Dr.  Hayes'  results,  160. 
Smith,  Watson,  Acting  Master  of  the  Advance,  91. 
Societe    de  Geographie    awards  medal  to  Kane,   105;  to  Hayes,  158;  to  Hall,  .333;  to 

Schwatka,  362;  notes  on  meteorological  stations,  532. 
Sonntag,  August,  astronomer  of  Kane's  expedition,  68;  his  observalorj-.  75;  astronomer 

to  Hayes'  expedition,  133;  death,  138;  Hans'  account  of  it,  140;  his  grave  visited  by 

Bessels  and  Bryan,  142. 
Spoon,  Franklin's,  sent  to  Miss  Cracroft,  349. 
Stevens,   H.  K.,   Lieutenant,  commands  the  Hancock,   HI;  recommends  further  suf^ 

veys,  130. 
Stimpson,  Wm.,  naturalist,  110. 

Stoney,  Lieutenant,  U.  S.  N.,  distributes  rewards  to  the  Tchuktchis,  484. 
Stuart,  J.  H.,  Assistant  Surgeon,  lost  at  sea,  112. 
Stuart,  W.  D.,  draughtsman,  110. 

Tagliabue,  N.  Y.,  contributes  instniments  to  Hayes'  expedition,  1.33. 
Taylor,  Z.,  President,  message  to  Congress,  43. 

Tchuktchis  described  by  officers  of  the  Vincennes,  120;  by  novgaaui.  120. 
Tessiussak  (or  Tessuissak)  visited  by  Hayes,  136. 
Thompson,  R.  W.,  Secretary  Navy,  instructions  to  DeLong,  369. 
Tigress,  the  cruise  of,  325. 

Too-koo-litoo  joins  Hall,  176;  accompanies  second  expedition,  2«J6;  loses  her  babe.  -246: 
sails  on  the  Polaris,  270;  notice  of,  340. 


578  INDEX. 

Tyson,  Geo.  E.,  sails  with  Hall,  270;  rescued  by  the  Tigress,  323;  commands  the  Flor- 
ence, 535. 

United  States  Centennial  Arctic  exhibit,  104. 

Upernavik  visited  by  DeHaven,  59;  by  Kane,  89;  by  Hayes,  135. 

Van  Wyck,  W.  W.,  lost  at  sea,  112. 

Vincennes,  the  flag-ship  of  Commodore  Einggold,  108;  Arctic  cruise  under  Rodgers,  114; 

extracts  from  log  book,  126. 
Vreeland,  B.,  Surgeon  of  the  Eescue,  47. 

Whaxees,  the  pioneers  of  discovery,  494. 

Wildes,  Commander,  TJ.  S.  N.,  of  the  Yantic,  548,  551. 

Wilkes,  C.  F.,  Lieutenant,  commands  Antarctic  expedition,  495;  officers'  record,  406; 

sails  from  Sydney,  501;  discovers  land,  508;  receives  medal  from  Royal  Geographical 

Society,  London,  514;  his  summary  of  the  cruise,  519;  volumes  published  by  Congress, 

521 ;  notes  on  the  ice,  522. 
Williams  and  Haven  aid  Hall,  166. 
Willis,  Hon.  B.  A.,  letter  from  Professor  Henry,  534. 
Wrangell  Land,  seen  by  Wrangell,  120, 124;  by  Rodgers,  128;  by  Hooper,  436;  drifted  past 

by  DeLong,  467;  visited  by  Berry,  478. 
Wright,  C,  botanist  of  the  Antarctic  expedition,  110. 

2LANE,  A.  v.,  Passed  Assistanf  Engineer  on  the  Rodgers,  477;  accompanies  Putnam,  with 
Hunt  and  Castillo,  483.      V 


^' 


X-08297 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


Series  9482 


A     001  001  974 


:>'tf  « 


^i;. 


